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Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed a rule to significantly reduce toxic pollution from plants like the Union Carbide facility in Institute, one of West Virginia’s few majority-Black communities. However, the pollution reductions proposed are at risk of being killed by incoming President Donald Trump, who has vowed his administration will continue to roll back pollution limits. Three citizen groups sued the federal agency last year when regulators failed to update the emission standards for facilities that produce polyether polyols — a chemical production category that can lead to emissions of carcinogens such as ethylene oxide. A settlement was reached last month requiring federal regulators to propose an updated rule by Dec. 10. In 2021 Mountain State Spotlight and ProPublica detailed how majority-Black communities across the country, like Institute in West Virginia, were saddled with a disproportionate health burden from industrial pollution. A ProPublica analysis found that Institute faces an increased cancer risk from industrial air pollution at 36 times the level the EPA considers acceptable. On Dec. 11, the EPA posted the draft of its updated rule that would reduce ethylene oxide emissions by nearly 80%. The rule also proposed additional measures, including monitoring ethylene oxide emissions at the plants’ fencelines. Environmental groups celebrated the proposed rule, declaring it a victory. “This is a critical step forward in protecting communities from the dangerous risks posed by ethylene oxide emissions,” said Adrienne Lee, an attorney for Earthjustice representing the environmental groups. However, the rule faces a lengthy process before it can take effect. Once the regulation is proposed and published in the Federal Register, there is a period for public comment before it can be finalized. Because of that process, the rule won’t be finalized before President Joe Biden leaves office, leaving the rule in the hands of Trump’s EPA. Trump has pledged to reverse federal climate, air and water regulations during his presidency. During his first term, his administration tried to roll back more than 100 environmental rules. He has tapped several major players who were involved with crafting the conservative playbook Project 2025 to serve in his second administration. The chapter devoted to the EPA says the agency should be more conservative and critiques its policies under the current administration in this way: “Not surprisingly, the EPA under the Biden Administration has returned to the same top-down, coercive approach that defined the Obama Administration. There has been a reinstitution of unachievable standards designed to aid in the ‘transition’ away from politically disfavored industries and technologies and toward the Biden Administration’s preferred alternatives.” Trump has tapped former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to head his administration’s EPA despite Zeldin’s limited regulatory or environmental experience. The League of Conservation Voters gave Zeldin a pro-environmental voting record of 14% for his time in Congress. Despite the change in administration, the EPA is required to issue a final version of this rule by next December because of the settlement. However, what the rule looks like in its final form could be very different from the current proposed version. Even if the rule is finalized under the Trump administration as is, there’s still more to be done to address toxic air pollution, especially in communities historically overburdened by industry pollution. “Any reductions are good, that’s what’s a step in the right direction, but it really needs to be zero risk,” said Maya Nye, a Kanawha Valley resident and member of the Charleston-based People Concerned About Chemical Safety. “That’s all that’s acceptable, personally, to me.” The Union Carbide facility, now owned by Dow Chemical, is one of the facilities that this rule will impact as it makes ethylene oxide to help produce a wide variety of products, including antifreeze, pesticides and sterilizing agents for medical tools. In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for Union Carbide said the company will review the proposed rule and “engage through the formal regulatory process to advocate for sensible, risk-based emissions standards based on the best available science.”Q: This past spring, we tried starting some of our own plants from seed indoors, but they got tall, spindly and weak by the time we wanted to plant them outdoors. What did we do wrong? — Tyler P. A: Seedlings growing tall and spindly indoors is an age-old problem, and the same wisdom holds true now that it did years ago. The problem occurs if plants are started too early and the light level isn’t intense enough. ADVERTISEMENT Because plants grow at different rates, some types need to be started very early, while others should wait until April for seeding indoors. Begonias and onions require many weeks to grow and can be seeded in February. March 1 is the recommended date for seeding petunias, impatiens, coleus and snapdragons. March 15 is the date to seed peppers, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower. Tomatoes and marigolds should wait until April 1, and zinnias until April 15. If seeds are started earlier than their recommended date, plants can languish indoors, becoming lanky and weak. In addition, seedlings need high light levels to remain stocky and strong. Plants grown with too little light often stretch and become weak-stemmed. Seedlings can be grown in a sunny window, but many windows don’t receive full, all-day sunshine as the sun moves across the sky, unless the windows are very wide. The short days of winter and early spring also keep light levels lower than seedlings prefer. A perfect way to provide seedlings with optimal light is with artificial lights, which can be standard LEDs, fluorescent, or special plant-type lights. Tube-type bulbs distribute light over seedling trays better than round bulbs. Seedling trays should be kept within several inches of the bulbs. Lights can be set on a timer with 16 hours on and eight hours off, similar to humans getting the recommended eight hours of sleep, which is how I remember it. Q: Thanks for the recent article on Blue By You salvia. Do you know where we can purchase this perennial come spring? — Rachelle S. A: Blue By You perennial salvia, an All-America Selections award winner and an outstanding feature in our perennial beds and landscapes, has been on the market for about two years, which is relatively recent as new plants go. ADVERTISEMENT As with many new cultivars, it takes time for new plant material to be widely available. Your best bet is to contact locally owned garden centers and inquire, which can be done now. This can give garden centers the opportunity to order the plants if they haven’t already. With the tens of thousands of plant cultivars available, no garden center can stock them all, but if they receive requests for specific types, they can often add them to their selection. Garden centers plan their inventory far in advance of the spring season, so the earlier a request is made, the more likely it can be fulfilled. Q: I know you prefer starting cuttings, such as houseplants, in mixtures of vermiculite, sand or potting mix instead of water. I’m curious why that is. Sometimes I have luck in water, but sometimes the cuttings rot. — Jenny S. A: Some plant types, such as pothos, root very easily in water and can even grow in water for many weeks. Other cutting types rot easily in water, which is why a solid-type medium often works best for coaxing cuttings to root. Sometimes I use high-quality potting mix, other times vermiculite, perlite or sand, and sometimes mixtures. Besides being less prone to rotting, starting cuttings in a solid-type medium has another important advantage. Roots that form in water are accustomed to growing in water, and when the cuttings are transferred into potting mix, there can be a stressful period of adjustment and shock. When roots begin forming in solid media, they are often more fibrous, well-branched and less gangly. Because they’re accustomed to growing in a solid medium, there’s usually less transplant shock when transferred into potting mix. For easy-to-root plants, rooting in water is handy, but solid media has distinct advantages. ADVERTISEMENT If you have a gardening or lawn care question, email Don Kinzler, NDSU Extension-Cass County, at donald.kinzler@ndsu.edu . Questions with broad appeal may be published, so please include your name, city and state for appropriate advice.

Position Mobile's Fate Remains Uncertain: Winding Up, Court-Ordered Buy-Out Both Options in Next Year's TrialAnsys Inc. stock underperforms Monday when compared to competitorsHOUSTON , Dec. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- OptiSigns, a leader in digital signage software solutions, is thrilled to announce its participation as a Platinum Sponsor in this year's Digital Signage Experience (DSE) 2024, taking place this December in Las Vegas, Nevada . The highly anticipated event, a premier gathering for digital signage innovators, professionals, and enthusiasts, will provide the perfect stage for OptiSigns to unveil its latest advancements and engage with industry leaders. Visitors of DSE 2024 will have the opportunity to experience firsthand how OptiSigns' powerful and user-friendly platform is transforming how businesses communicate, engage, and inform their audiences. From dynamic content scheduling to seamless integrations and real-time updates, OptiSigns' solutions are designed to meet the needs of businesses across industries, including retail, hospitality, healthcare, and more. "At OptiSigns, we are passionate about empowering businesses with technology that engages audiences and drives results," said Head of Sales John Shelley. "We are excited to connect with industry professionals at DSE 2024, showcase our solutions, and demonstrate how digital signage can transform communication strategies." DSE 2024 will take place from December 9, 2024 , to December 10, 2024 , at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada , and promises to bring together key players and thought leaders in digital signage, offering a unique platform to explore the latest technologies and network with industry professionals. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

The Israeli military said it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen early Saturday, a day after the Huthi-held capital Sanaa was hit by fresh air strikes. Sirens sounded in areas of Jerusalem and the Dead Sea on Saturday as “a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted... prior to crossing into Israeli territory”, the Israeli military said. The day before, a fresh air strike hit Sanaa, which Huthi rebels blamed on “US-British aggression” though it remains unclear who was behind it. There was no comment from Israel, the United States or Britain. “I heard the blast. My house shook,” one Sanaa resident told AFP late Friday. The Iran-backed Huthis control large parts of Yemen after seizing Sanaa and ousting the government in 2014. Since the eruption of war in Gaza in October last year, the Huthis — claiming solidarity with Palestinians — have fired a series of missiles and drones at Israel. They have stepped up their attacks since November’s ceasefire between Israel and another Iran-backed group, Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel has also struck Yemen, including targeting Sanaa’s international airport on Thursday in an attack that came as the head of the World Health Organization was about to board a plane. The Huthis have also attacked commercial shipping in the Red Sea, prompting reprisal strikes by the United States and sometimes Britain. Earlier Friday, before the strike on Sanaa, tens of thousands of people gathered to protest and express solidarity with Palestinians. “The equation has changed and has become: (targeting) airport for airport, port for port, and infrastructure for infrastructure,” Huthi supporter Mohammed al-Gobisi said. “We will not get tired or bored of supporting our brothers in Gaza.” Israel’s strike on the Sanaa international airport on Thursday shattered windows and left the top of the control tower a bombed-out shell. A witness told AFP that the raids also targeted the adjacent Al-Dailami air base, which shares the airport’s runway. “The attack resulted in four dead until now and around 20 wounded from staff, airport and passengers,” Huthi Deputy Transport Minister Yahya al-Sayani said. It occurred as the head of the UN’s World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, was preparing to fly out, and left one UN crew member injured. Tedros was in Yemen to seek the release of UN staff detained for months by the Huthis, and to assess the humanitarian situation. He later posted on social media that he had safely reached Jordan with his team. He said the injured member of the UN’s Humanitarian Air Service “underwent successful surgery and is now in stable condition”. Israel’s military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether they knew at the time that the WHO chief was there. An Israeli statement said its targets included “military infrastructure” at the airport and power stations in Sanaa and Hodeida — a major entry point for humanitarian aid — as well as other facilities at several ports. Huthis use these sites “to smuggle Iranian weapons into the region and for the entry of senior Iranian officials”, the statement said. But UN humanitarian coordinator Julien Harneis said the airport was “a civilian location” which the UN also uses, and the strikes took place as “a packed civilian airliner from Yemenia Air, carrying hundreds of Yemenis, was about to land”. Although the plane “was able to land safely... it could have been far, far worse”, Harneis said. In his latest warning to the Huthis, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s strikes would “continue until the job is done”. “We are determined to cut this branch of terrorism from the Iranian axis of evil,” he said in a video statement. Despite the damage, flights at Sanaa airport resumed at 10 am (0700 GMT) on Friday, deputy transport minister Sayani said. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres denounced the escalation in hostilities, and said bombing transportation infrastructure threatened humanitarian operations in Yemen, where 80 percent of the population depends on aid. The United Nations has called Yemen “the largest humanitarian crisis in the world”, with 24.1 million people in need of humanitarian aid and protection. The airport is “absolutely vital” to continue transporting aid for Yemen, UN humanitarian coordinator Harneis said. “If that airport is disabled, it will paralyze humanitarian operations.” After the attack on Sanaa airport, Huthis said they fired a missile at Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv and launched drones at the city and a ship in the Arabian Sea. The Israeli military said the same day a missile launched from Yemen had been intercepted. Israeli “aggression will only increase the determination and resolve of the great Yemeni people to continue supporting the Palestinian people”, a Huthi statement said Friday.

LONDON — Olivia Hussey, the actor who starred as a teenage Juliet in the 1968 film "Romeo and Juliet," died, her family said on social media Saturday. She was 73. Hussey died Friday "peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones," a statement posted to her Instagram account said. Hussey was 15 when director Franco Zeffirelli cast her in his adaptation of the William Shakespeare tragedy after spotting her onstage in the play "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie," which also starred Vanessa Redgrave. "Romeo and Juliet" won two Oscars and Hussey won a Golden Globe for best new actress for her part as Juliet, opposite British actor Leonard Whiting, who was 16 at the time. "Romeo and Juliet" movie director Franco Zeffirelli, left, and actors Olivia Hussey, center, and Leonard Whiting are seen Sept. 25, 1968, in Paris after the Parisian premiere of the film. Decades later Hussey and Whiting brought a lawsuit against Paramount Pictures alleging sexual abuse, sexual harassment and fraud over nude scenes in the film. They alleged they were initially told they would wear flesh-colored undergarments in a bedroom scene, but on the day of the shoot Zeffirelli told the pair they would wear only body makeup and the camera would be positioned in a way that would not show nudity. They alleged they were filmed in the nude without their knowledge. The case was dismissed by a Los Angeles County judge in 2023, who found their depiction could not be considered child pornography and the pair filed their claim too late. Leonard Whiting, left, and Olivia Hussey arrive April 26, 2018, at the screening of "The Producers" at the 2018 TCM Classic Film Festival Opening Night at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. Whiting was among those who paid tribute to Hussey on Saturday. "Rest now my beautiful Juliet no injustices can hurt you now," he wrote. "And the world will remember your beauty inside and out forever." Hussey was born April 17, 1951, in Bueno Aires, Argentina, and moved to London as a child. She studied at the Italia Conti Academy drama school. She also starred as Mary, the mother of Jesus, in the 1977 television series "Jesus of Nazareth," as well as the 1978 adaptation of Agatha Christie's "Death on the Nile" and horror movies "Black Christmas" and "Psycho IV: The Beginning." She is survived by her husband, David Glen Eisley, her three children and a grandson. Glynis Johns, 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, died, Thursday, Jan. 4, 2023. She was 100. Adan Canto, the Mexican singer and actor best known for his roles in “X-Men: Days of Future Past” and “Agent Game” as well as the TV series “The Cleaning Lady,” “Narcos,” and “Designated Survivor,” died Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, after a private battle with appendiceal cancer. He was 42. Bud Harrelson, the scrappy and sure-handed shortstop who fought Pete Rose on the field during a playoff game and helped the New York Mets win an astonishing championship, died Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024. He was 79. The Mets said that Harrelson died at a hospice house in East Northport, New York after a long battle with Alzheimer's. Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojević, a mentor to two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and a former star player in his native Serbia, died Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024, after suffering a heart attack, the team announced. He was 46. Jack Burke Jr., the oldest living Masters champion who staged the greatest comeback ever at Augusta National for one of his two majors, died Friday, Jan. 19, 2024, in Houston. He was 100. Mary Weiss, the lead singer of the 1960s pop group the Shangri-Las, whose hits included “The Leader of the Pack,” died Friday, Jan. 19, 2024, in Palm Springs, Calif. She was 75. Norman Jewison, a three-time Oscar nominee who in 1999 received an Academy Award for lifetime achievement, died “peacefully” Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024, according to publicist Jeff Sanderson. He was 97. Charles Osgood, who anchored “CBS Sunday Morning” for more than two decades, hosted the long-running radio program “The Osgood File” and was referred to as CBS News’ poet-in-residence, died Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. He was 91. Melanie, a singer-songwriter behind 1970s hits including “Brand New Key,” died Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. She was 76. Born Melanie Safka, the singer rose through the New York folk scene and was one of only three solo women to perform at Woodstock. Her hits included “Lay Down” and “Look What They've Done to My Song Ma.” Chita Rivera, 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, died Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. She was 91. Carl Weathers, a former NFL linebacker who became a Hollywood action movie and comedy star, playing nemesis-turned-ally Apollo Creed in the “Rocky” movies, facing-off against Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Predator” and teaching golf in “Happy Gilmore,” died Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024. He was 76. Wayne Kramer, the co-founder of the protopunk Detroit band the MC5 that thrashed out such hardcore anthems as “Kick Out the Jams” and influenced everyone from the Clash to Rage Against the Machine, died Friday, Feb. 2, 2024. at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles, according to Jason Heath, a close friend and executive director of Kramer's charity, Jail Guitar Doors. Heath said the cause of death was pancreatic cancer. He was 75. Actor Ian Lavender, who played a hapless Home Guard soldier in the classic British sitcom “Dad’s Army,” died Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. He was 77. Country music singer-songwriter Toby Keith, whose pro-American anthems were both beloved and criticized, died Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. He was 62. Henry Fambrough, 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,” died Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024, of natural causes, according to a statement from his spokeswoman. He was 85. Bob Edwards, right, the news anchor many Americans woke up to as founding host of National Public Radio's “Morning Edition” for nearly a quarter-century, died Saturday, Feb. 10, 20243. He was 76. He's shown here with sports announcer Red Barber. Don Gullett, a former major league pitcher and coach who played for four consecutive World Series champions in the 1970s, died Feb. 14. He was 73. He finished his playing career with a 109-50 record playing for the Cincinnati Reds and New York Yankees. Lefty Driesell, the 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, died Feb. 17, 2024, at age 92. Germany players celebrate after Andreas Brehme, left on ground, scores the winning goal in the World Cup soccer final match against Argentina, in the Olympic Stadium, in Rome, July 8, 1990. Andreas Brehme, who scored the only goal as West Germany beat Argentina to win the 1990 World Cup final, died Feb. 20, 2024. He was 63. Despite the effort of Denver Broncos defensive back Steve Foley (43), Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Golden Richards hauls in a touchdown pass during NFL football's Super Bowl 12 in New Orleans on Jan 15, 1978. Richards died Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, of congestive heart failure at his home in Murray, Utah. He was 73. Richards' nephew Lance Richards confirmed his death in a post on his Facebook page. Comedian Richard Lewis attends an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles on Dec. 25, 2012. Lewis, 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,” died Feb. 27, 2024. He was 76. He died at his home in Los Angeles on Tuesday night after suffering a heart attack, according to his publicist Jeff Abraham. Former Soviet Prime Minister Nikolai Ryzhkov attends a session of the Federation Council, Russian parliament's upper house, in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, June 25, 2014. Ryzhkov, former Soviet prime minister who presided over failed efforts to shore up the crumbling economy in the final years before the collapse of the USSR, died Feb. 28, 2024, at age 94. Brian Mulroney, the former prime minister of Canada, listens during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the Canada-U.S.-Mexico relationship, Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Mulroney died at the age of 84 on Feb. 29, 2024. Akira Toriyama is pictured in 1982. Toriyama, the creator of one of Japan's best-selling “Dragon Ball” and other popular anime who influenced Japanese comics, died March 1, 2024. He was 68. Iris Apfel, a textile expert, interior designer and fashion celebrity known for her eccentric style, died March 1, 2024, at 102. Andy Russell, the standout linebacker who was an integral part of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ evolution from perennial losers to champions, died Feb. 29, 2024. He was 82. Russell won two Super Bowls during a 12-year NFL career between 1963-76 that was briefly interrupted by a stint in the military. Russell played in 168 consecutive games and spent 10 years as a team captain. He was named to the Pro Bowl seven times. Russell remained active in the Pittsburgh community after retiring, writing several books and launching the Andy Russell Charitable Foundation. Pittsburgh Pirates' Ed Ott slides across home late out of reach of Orioles catcher Rick Dempsey to score the winning run in the ninth inning of Game 2 of the World Series at Baltimore, Oct. 11, 1979. Ott, a former major league catcher and coach who helped the Pittsburgh Pirates win the 1979 World Series, died March 3, 2024. He was 72. He batted .259 with 33 homers and 195 RBIs in 567 major league games. Ott and Steve Nicosia were the main catchers when the Pirates won it all in 1979. In a photo supplied by ESPN, Chris Mortensen appears on the set of Sunday NFL Countdown at ESPN's studios in Bristol, Conn., on Sept. 22, 2019. Mortensen, the award-winning journalist who covered the NFL for close to four decades, including 32 as a senior analyst at ESPN, died March 3, 2024. He was 72. Mortensen announced in 2016 that he he had been diagnosed with throat cancer. Even while undergoing treatment, he was the first to confirm the retirement of Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning. Mortensen announced his retirement after the NFL draft last year so that he could “focus on my health, family and faith.” Singer Steve Lawrence, left, and his wife Eydie Gorme arrive at a black-tie gala called honoring Frank Sinatra in Las Vegas on May 30, 1998. Lawrence, a singer and top stage act who as a solo performer and in tandem with his wife Gorme kept Tin Pan Alley alive during the rock era, died Wednesday, March 6, 2024 at age 88. Gorme died on Aug. 10, 2013. Martin Luther King III, right, the son of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., walks with his daughter Yolanda, and Naomi Barber King, left, the wife of Rev. King's brother, A.D., through an exhibition devoted to the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to King at the Martin Luther King Jr. Historical Site, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2014, in Atlanta. Civil rights activist Naomi Barber King died Thursday, March 7, 2024, in Atlanta, according to family members. She was 92. A Texas man who spent decades using an iron lung after contracting polio as a child died March 11, 2024, at the age of 78. Paul Alexander's longtime friend Daniel Spinks says Alexander died Monday at a Dallas hospital. Spinks called his friend one of the "bright stars of the world.” Friends of Alexander, who graduated from law school and had a career as an attorney, say he was a man who had a great joy for life. Alexander was a child when he began using an iron lung, a cylinder that encased his body as the air pressure in the chamber forced air in and out of his lungs. Astronaut Thomas P. Stafford stands near the NASA Motor Vessel Retriever during training Aug. 23, 1965, in the Gulf of Mexico. Stafford, who commanded a dress rehearsal flight for the 1969 moon landing and the first U.S.-Soviet space linkup, died March 18, 2024, at 93. New York Rangers' Chris Simon celebrates his second-period goal against the New York Islanders, Thursday, Feb. 26, 2004, at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y. Former NHL enforcer Chris Simon has died. He was 52. Simon died March 18, 2024, according to a spokesperson for the NHL Players' Association. M. Emmet Walsh arrives at the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards, March 1, 2014, in Santa Monica, Calif. Walsh, the character actor who brought his unmistakable face and unsettling presence to films including “Blood Simple” and “Blade Runner,” died March 19, 2024, at age 88, his manager said Wednesday. "Babar" author Laurent de Brunhoff, who revived his father's popular picture book series about an elephant-king, has died at 98 after being in hospice care for two weeks. De Brunhoff was a Paris native who moved to the U.S. in the 1980s. He died March 22, 2024, at his home in Key West, Florida. Just 12 years old when his father, Jean de Brunhoff, died of tuberculosis, Laurent drew upon his own gifts as a painter and storyteller and as an adult released dozens of books about the elephant who reigns over Celesteville, among them "Babar at the Circus" and "Babar's Yoga for Elephants." Longtime Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos has died at the age of 94. His family announced in a statement that Angelos, who had been ill for several years, died March 23, 2024. Angelos was owner of an Orioles team that endured long losing stretches and shrewd proprietor of a law firm that won high-profile cases against industry titans such as tobacco giant Philip Morris. Angelos’ death came as his son, John, was in the process of selling the Orioles to a group headed by Carlyle Group Inc. co-founder David Rubenstein. Peter Angelos purchased the team for $173 million in 1993, at the time the highest for a sports franchise. His public role diminished significantly in his final years. Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore, left, and his running mate, vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, wave to supporters Oct. 25, 2000, at a campaign rally in Jackson, Tenn. Lieberman died March 27, 2024. He was 82 and died Wednesday of complications from a fall. Lieberman nearly won the vice presidency on Democrat Al Gore's ticket in the disputed 2000 White House race. Eight years later, he came close to joining the GOP ticket as John McCain’s running mate. The Democrat-turned-independent stepped down from the Senate in January 2013 after 24 years. His independent streak often irked Senate Democrats he aligned with. Yet his support for gay rights, civil rights, abortion rights and environmental causes at times won him the praise of many liberals over the years. Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries “Roots,” died March 28, 2024. He was 87. Gossett always thought of his early career as a reverse Cinderella story, with success finding him from an early age and propelling him forward, toward his Academy Award for “An Officer and a Gentleman.” He also was a star on Broadway, replacing Billy Daniels in “Golden Boy” with Sammy Davis Jr. in 1964 and recently played an obstinate patriarch in the 2023 remake of “The Color Purple.” Former cast members of SCTV, from left, Dave Thomas, Joe Flaherty, Catherine O'Hara, Andrea Martin, foreground, Harold Ramis, Eugene Levy and Martin Short, pose at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival on March 6, 1999, in Aspen, Colo. Flaherty, a founding member of the Canadian sketch series “SCTV,” died Monday, April 1, 2024 at age 82. John Sinclair talks at the John Sinclair Foundation Café and Coffeeshop, Dec. 26, 2018, in Detroit. Sinclair, 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, has died at age 82. Sinclair died Tuesday, April 2, 2024 at Detroit Receiving Hospital of congestive heart failure following an illness, his publicist Matt Lee said. Boston Red Sox president Larry Lucchino, right, tips his cap to fans as majority owner John Henry holds the 2013 World Series championship trophy during a parade in celebration of the baseball team's win, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013, in Boston. Larry Lucchino, the force behind baseball’s retro ballpark revolution and the transformation of the Boston Red Sox from cursed losers to World Series champions, has died. He was 78. Lucchino had suffered from cancer. The Triple-A Worcester Red Sox, his last project in a career that also included three major league baseball franchises and one in the NFL, confirmed his death on Tuesday, April 2, 2024. Playwright Christopher Durang appears on stage with producers to accept the award for best play for "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike" at the 67th Annual Tony Awards, on June 9, 2013 in New York. Also on stage are actors, background from left, Shalita Grant, Kristine Nielsen and Billy Magnussen. Durang died Tuesday, April 2, 2024, at his home in Pipersville, Pennsylvania, of complications from logopenic primary progressive aphasia. He was 75. In this Oct. 16, 1969 file photo, New York Mets catcher Jerry Grote, right, embraces pitcher Jerry Koosman as Ed Charles, left, joins the celebration after the Mets defeated the Baltimore Orioles in the Game 5 to win the baseball World Series at New York's Shea Stadium. Grote, the catcher who helped transform the New York Mets from a perennial loser into the 1969 World Series champion, died Sunday, April 7, 2024. He was 81. In this July 8, 2003 photo, Lori, left, and George Schappell, conjoined twins, are photographed in their Reading, Pa., apartment. Lori and George Schappell, who pursued separate careers, interests and relationships during lives that defied medical expectations, died April 7, 2024, at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. They were 62. The University of Edinburgh says Nobel prize-winning physicist Peter Higgs, who proposed the existence of a sub-atomic particle that came to be known as the Higgs boson, died April 8, 2024, at 94. Higgs predicted the existence of the particle in 1964. But it would be almost 50 years before the its existence could be confirmed at a particle collider in Switzerland called the Large Hadron Collider. Higgs’ work helps scientists understand of the most fundamental riddles of the universe: how the Big Bang created something out of nothing 13.7 billion years ago. Higgs won the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work, alongside Francois Englert of Belgium. A retired U.S. Army colonel who was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism during the Korean War died April 8, 2024, at age 97. A funeral home says that Ralph Puckett Jr. died Monday at his home in Columbus, Georgia. President Joe Biden presented Puckett with the Medal of Honor in 2021, more than seven decades after Puckett was seriously wounded leading an outnumbered company of Army Rangers in battle. Puckett refused a medical discharge and served as an Army officer for another 20 years before retiring in 1971. Puckett received the U.S. military's highest honor from President Joe Biden on May 21, 2021, following a policy change that lifted a requirement for medals to be given within five years of a valorous act. O.J. Simpson, left, grimaces June 15, 1995, in a Los Angeles courtroom as he famously tries on one of the leather gloves prosecutors say he wore the night his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were murdered. Simpson, t he decorated football star who was acquitted of charges he killed his former wife and her friend but wound up in prison years later in an unrelated case, died April 10, 2024. He was 76. His family made an announcement Thursday in a statement on Simpson's X account. Simpson said last year that he was battling prostate cancer. Simpson’s gridiron legacy was forever overshadowed by the 1994 knife slayings of Brown Simpson and Goldman. A criminal court jury found him not guilty of murder, but a separate civil trial jury found him liable. Simpson's nine-year prison stint in Nevada was for the armed robbery of two sports memorabilia dealers. Francis Coppola and wife, Eleanor, pose July 16, 1991, in Los Angeles. Eleanor Coppola, who documented the making of some of her husband Francis Ford Coppola’s iconic films, including the infamously tortured production of “Apocalypse Now,” and who raised a family of filmmakers, has died. She was 87. Coppola died April 12, 2024, at home in Rutherford, California, her family announced in a statement. Eleanor, who grew in Orange County, California, met Francis while working as an assistant art director on his directorial debut, the Roger Corman-produced 1963 horror film “Dementia 13.” Their first-born, Gian-Carlo, quickly became a regular presence in his father’s films, as did their subsequent children, Roman, and Sofia. After acting in their father’s films and growing up on sets, all would go into the movies. Robert MacNeil, seen in February 1978, who created the even-handed, no-frills PBS newscast “The MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour” in the 1970s and co-anchored the show for with his late partner, Jim Lehrer, for two decades, died April 12, 2024, at age 93. Artist Faith Ringgold poses for a portrait in front of a painted self-portrait during a press preview of her exhibition, "American People, Black Light: Faith Ringgold's Paintings of the 1960s" at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, June 19, 2013. Ringgold, 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, died Friday, April 12, 2024, at her home in Englewood, N.J. She was 93. Alabama coach Bear Bryant, left, talks with his former star quarterback Steve Sloan, right, after practice in Miami for the Orange Bowl game New Years' night against Nebraska, Dec. 29, 1968. Former college coach and administrator Sloan, who played quarterback and served as athletic director at Alabama. has passed away. He was 79. Sloan died Sunday, April 14, 2024, after three months of memory care at Orlando Health Dr. P. Phillips Hospital, according to an obituary from former Alabama sports information director Wayne Atcheson. Oakland A's pitcher Ken Holtzman poses for a photo in March 1975. Holtzman, who pitched two no-hitters for the Chicago Cubs and helped the Oakland Athletics win three straight World Series championships in the 1970s, died April 14, 2024. He finished with a career record of 174-150 over 15 season with four teams and was the winningest Jewish pitcher in baseball history. Carl Erskine, center, pictured with teammate Duke Snider, left, and manager Charley Dressen in 1952, after beating the Yankees 6-5 in Game 5 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium in New York, Oct. 5, 1952. Erskine, who pitched two no-hitters for the Brooklyn Dodgers and was a 20-game winner in 1953 when he struck out a then-record 14 in the World Series, has died. Among the last survivors from the celebrated Brooklyn teams of the 1950s, Erskine spent his entire major league career with the Dodgers. He helped them win five National League pennants from 1948-59. Erskine won Game 3 of the 1953 World Series, beating the Yankees 3-2. He appeared in five World Series, with the Dodgers beating the Yankees in 1955 for their only championship in Brooklyn. Erksine died April 16 in his hometown of Anderson, Indiana, according to a hospital official. He was 97. St. Louis Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog lets umpire John Shulock, right, know how he feels about Shulock's call on the tag attempt on Kansas City Royals Jim Sundberg by Cardinals catcher Tom Nieto, second from left, in the second inning of Game 5 of the 1985 World Series in St. Louis. Herzog, the gruff and ingenious Hall of Fame manager who guided the St. Louis Cardinals to three pennants and a World Series title and perfected an intricate, nail-biting strategy known as “Whiteyball,” has died. Herzog, affectionately nicknamed “The White Rat,” was a manager for 18 seasons, compiling an overall record of 1,281 wins and 1,125 losses. He was named Manager of the Year in 1985. Under Herzog, the Cardinals won pennants in 1982, 1985 and 1987 and won the World Series in 1982, when they edged the Milwaukee Brewers in seven games. He died April 15, 2024, and was 92. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla., gestures as he answers questions regarding the ongoing security hearing on Capitol Hill, June 18, 2002, in Washington. Graham, who chaired the Intelligence Committee following the 2001 terrorist attacks and opposed the Iraq invasion, died April 16, 2024. He was 87. His family announced the death Tuesday in a statement posted on X by his daughter Gwen Graham. Graham served three terms in the Senate and two terms as Florida's governor. He made an unsuccessful bid for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination, emphasizing his opposition to the Iraq invasion. But that bid was delayed by heart surgery in January 2003, and he was never able to gain enough traction with voters to catch up. He didn’t seek re-election in 2004 and was replaced by Republican Mel Martinez. Guitar legend and Allman Brothers Band co-founder Dickey Betts died April 18, 2024, at age 80. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer wrote the band's biggest hit, “Ramblin’ Man.” Manager David Spero told The Associated Press that Betts died early Thursday at his home in Osprey, Florida. He says Betts had been battling cancer for more than a year and had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Betts shared lead guitar duties with Duane Allman in the original Allman Brothers Band to help give the group its distinctive sound and create a new genre: Southern rock. Acts ranging from Lynyrd Skynyrd to Kid Rock were influenced by the Allmans’ music, which combined blues, country, R&B and jazz with ’60s rock. Contemporary Christian singer Mandisa, who appeared on “American Idol” and won a Grammy for her 2013 album “Overcomer,” died April 18, 2024. She was 47. Mandisa gained stardom after finishing ninth on “American Idol” in 2006. In 2014, she won a Grammy for best contemporary Christian music album for “Overcomer,” her fifth album. She spoke openly about her struggles with depression, releasing a memoir that detailed her experiences with severe depression, weight-related challenges, the coronavirus pandemic and her faith. David Pryor, a former Arkansas governor and U.S. senator who was one of the state’s most beloved and active political figures, died April 20, 2024, at the age of 89. His son, former two-term Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, says the Democrat died Saturday of natural causes in Little Rock surrounded by family. David Pryor was considered one of the Democratic party’s giants in Arkansas and remained active in public life after he left office, including serving on the University of Arkansas’s Board of Trustees. Roman Gabriel was known for his big size and big arm. He was the first Filipino-American quarterback in the NFL. And he still holds the Los Angeles Rams record for touchdown passes. Gabriel died April 20, 2024, at age 83. His son posted the news on social media. He says Gabriel died at home of natural causes. Gabriel starred at North Carolina State and was the No. 2 pick by the Rams in the 1962 draft. The Oakland Raider of the rival AFL made him the No. 1 pick. Gabriel signed with the Rams and later played with the Philadelphia Eagles. Andrew Davis, an acclaimed British conductor who was music director of the Lyric Opera of Chicago and orchestras on three continents, died April 20, 2024. He was 80. Davis died Saturday at Rusk Institute in Chicago from leukemia. That is according to his manager, Jonathan Brill of Opus 3 Artists. Davis had been managing the disease for 1 1/2 to 2 years but it became acute shortly after his 80th birthday on Feb. 2. Davis was music director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra from 1975-88, Britain’s Glyndebourne Festival from 1988-2000, chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra from 1989-2000, then was music director of the Lyric Opera from 2000-21. Former hostage Terry Anderson waves to the crowd as he rides in a parade in Lorain, Ohio, June 22, 1992. Anderson, the globe-trotting Associated Press correspondent who became one of America’s longest-held hostages, died April 21, 2024. Anderson was snatched from a street in war-torn Lebanon in 1985 and held for nearly seven years. Anderson, who was tortured and chained to a wall, wrote about his experiences in the best-selling memoir, “Den of Lions.” After returning to the United States in 1991, Anderson gave public speeches, taught journalism and, at various times, operated a blues bar, Cajun restaurant, horse ranch and gourmet restaurant. He also struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder. British army veteran Bill Gladden, who survived a glider landing on D-Day and a bullet that tore through his ankle a few days later, wanted to return to France for the 80th anniversary of the invasion so he could honor the men who didn’t come home. It was not to be. Gladden, one of the dwindling number of veterans who took part in the landings that kicked off the campaign to liberate Western Europe from the Nazis during World War II, died April 24, his family said. He was 100. With fewer and fewer veterans taking part each year, the ceremony may be one of the last big events marking the assault that began on June 6, 1944. Duane Eddy, a pioneering guitar hero whose reverberating electric sound on instrumentals such as “Rebel Rouser,” “Forty Miles of Bad Road" and “Cannonball” helped put the twang in early rock ‘n’ roll and influenced George Harrison, Bruce Springsteen and countless other musicians, died April 30 at age 86. With his raucous rhythms, and backing hollers and hand claps, Eddy sold more than 100 million records worldwide, and mastered a distinctive sound based on the premise that a guitar’s bass strings sounded better on tape than the high ones. Author Paul Auster has died at age 77. Auster was a prolific, prize-winning man of letters and filmmaker known for such inventive narratives and meta-narratives as “The New York Trilogy” and “4 3 2 1." Auster’s death on April 30 was confirmed by his literary representatives. Auster completed more than 30 books, translated into dozens of languages. He never achieved major commercial success in the U.S., but he was widely admired overseas for his cosmopolitan worldview and erudite and introspective style. Auster’s novels were a mix of history, politics, genre experiments, existential quests and self-conscious references to writers and writing. Co-pilots Dick Rutan, right, and Jeana Yeager, no relationship to test pilot Chuck Yeager, pose for a photo after a test flight over the Mojave Desert, Dec. 19, 1985. Rutan, a decorated Vietnam War pilot, who along with copilot Yeager completed one of the greatest milestones in aviation history: the first round-the-world flight with no stops or refueling, died late Friday, May 3, 2024. He was 85. Music producer Steve Albini, seen in his Chicago studio in 2014, produced albums by Nirvana, the Pixies and PJ Harvey. Albini died at 61. Brian Fox, an engineer at Albini’s studio, Electrical Audio, says Albini died after a heart attack May 7. In addition to his work on canonized rock albums such as Nirvana‘s “In Utero,” the Pixies’ breakthrough “Surfer Rosa,” and PJ Harvey’s “Rid of Me,” Albini was the frontman of the underground bands Big Black and Shellac. He dismissed the term “producer” and requested he be credited with “Recorded by Steve Albini." San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame football player Jimmy Johnson, left, is honored by owner Jed York before a 2011 game between against the St. Louis Rams in San Francisco. Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive back Jimmy Johnson, a three-time All-Pro and member of the All-Decade Team of the 1970s, has died. He was 86. Johnson's family told the Pro Football Hall of Fame that he died May 8. Johnson was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994. He played his entire 16-year pro career with San Francisco. He played in 213 games, more than any other 49ers player at the time of his retirement. San Diego Padres third baseman Sean Burroughs fires a throw to first from his knees but is unable to get Los Angeles Dodgers' D. J. Houlton at first during the third inning of a baseball game June 22, 2005, in San Diego. Burroughs, a two-time Little League World Series champion who won an Olympic gold medal and went on to a major league career that was interrupted by substance abuse, has died. He was 43. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s online records said Burroughs died Thursday, May 9, 2024, with the cause of death deferred. Producer Roger Corman poses in his Los Angeles office, May 8, 2013. Corman, the Oscar-winning “King of the Bs” who 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 an early break, died Thursday, May 9, 2024. He was 98. A.J. Smith, a longtime NFL executive who was the winningest general manager in Chargers history, has died. He was 75. His son, Atlanta assistant general manager Kyle Smith, announced in a statement released by the Falcons that his father died May 12. Kyle Smith said his father had been battling prostate cancer for seven years. The Chargers won five division titles during Smith’s 10 seasons as GM. The franchise’s 98 wins, including the playoffs, were the sixth most in the league from 2003-12. Saxophone player David Sanborn performs during his concert at the Stravinski hall at the "Colours of Music night" during the 34th Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland on July 10, 2000. Sanborn, the Grammy-winning saxophonist who played lively solos on such hits as David Bowie's “Young Americans” and James Taylor's “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” and enjoyed his own highly successful recording career as a leading performer of contemporary jazz, died Sunday, May 12, 2024, at age 78. Nobel laureate Alice Munro has died. The Canadian literary giant who became one of the world’s most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history’s most honored short story writers was 92. Munro achieved stature rare for an art form traditionally placed beneath the novel. She was the first lifelong Canadian to win the Nobel and the first recipient cited exclusively for short fiction. Munro was little known beyond Canada until her late 30s but became one of the few short story writers to enjoy ongoing commercial success. A spokesperson for publisher Penguin Random House Canada said Munro died May 13 at home in Port Hope, Ontario. Dabney Coleman, the mustachioed character actor who specialized in smarmy villains like the chauvinist boss in “9 to 5” and the nasty TV director in “Tootsie,” died May 16. He was 92. For two decades Coleman labored in movies and TV shows as a talented but largely unnoticed performer. That changed abruptly in 1976 when he was cast as the incorrigibly corrupt mayor of the hamlet of Fernwood in “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” a satirical soap opera. He won a Golden Globe for “The Slap Maxwell Story” and an Emmy Award for best supporting actor in Peter Levin’s 1987 small screen legal drama “Sworn to Silence.” Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi listens to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, not in photo, during a joint news conference following their meeting at the Presidential palace in Ankara, Turkey, Jan. 24, 2024. Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi, foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and others were found dead at the site of a helicopter crash site, state media reported Monday, May 20, 2024. Jim Otto, the Hall of Fame center known as Mr. Raider for his durability through a litany of injuries, died May 19. He was 86. The cause of death was not immediately known. Otto joined the Raiders for their inaugural season in the American Football League in 1960 and was a fixture on the team for the next 15 years. He never missed a game because of injuries and competed in 210 consecutive regular-season games and 308 straight total contests despite undergoing nine operations on his knees during his playing career. His right leg was amputated in 2007. Ivan F. Boesky, the flamboyant stock trader whose cooperation with the government cracked open one of the largest insider trading scandals on Wall Street, has died at the age of 87. A representative at the Marianne Boesky Gallery, owned by his daughter, confirmed his death. The son of a Detroit delicatessen owner, Boesky was once considered one of the richest and most influential risk-takers on Wall Street. He had parlayed $700,000 from his late mother-in-law’s estate into a fortune estimated at more than $200 million. Once implicated in insider trading, Boesky cooperated with a brash young U.S. attorney named Rudolph Giuliani, uncovering a scandal that blemished some of the most respected U.S. investment brokerages. Boesky died May 20. Jan. A.P. Kaczmarek poses with the Oscar for best original score for his work on "Finding Neverland" during the 77th Academy Awards, Feb. 27, 2005, in Los Angeles. Polish composer Kaczmarek, who won a 2005 Oscar for the movie “Finding Neverland,” has died on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, at age 71. Kaczmarek’s death was announced by Poland’s Music Foundation. Train bassist and founding member Charlie Colin has died at 58. Colin’s sister confirmed the musician's death Wednesday to The Associated Press. Variety reported Colin slipped and fell in the shower while house-sitting for a friend in Brussels. Train formed in San Francisco in the early ’90s. Colin played on Train's first three records, 1998’s self-titled album, 2001’s “Drops of Jupiter” and 2003’s “My Private Nation.” The track “Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)” hit No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also earned two Grammys. Colin left the band in 2003. He also worked with the Newport Beach Film Festival. Colin died May 22. Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, an 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, has died of cancer. He was 53. Spurlock made a splash in 2004 with his groundbreaking film “Super Size Me,” and returned in 2019 with “Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!” — a sober look at an industry that processes 9 billion animals a year in America. Spurlock was a gonzo-like filmmaker who leaned into the bizarre and ridiculous. His stylistic touches included zippy graphics and amusing music. Spurlock died May 23. Richard M. Sherman, one half of the prolific, award-winning pair of brothers who helped form millions of childhoods by penning classic Disney tunes, has died. He was 95. Sherman, along with his late brother Robert, wrote hundreds of songs together, including songs for “Mary Poppins,” “The Jungle Book” and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” — as well as the most-played tune on Earth, “It’s a Small World (After All).” The Walt Disney Co. announced that Sherman died Saturday due to age-related illness. The brothers won two Academy Awards for Walt Disney’s 1964 smash “Mary Poppins.” Robert Sherman died May 25 in London in 2012. Basketball Hall of Fame legend Bill Walton laughs during a practice session for the NBA All-Star basketball game in Cleveland, Feb. 19, 2022. Walton, who starred for John Wooden's UCLA Bruins before becoming a Basketball Hall of Famer and one of the biggest stars of basketball broadcasting, died Monday, May 27, 2024, the league announced on behalf of his family. He was 71. “The Godfather” producer Albert S. Ruddy died May 25 at 94. The Canadian-born producer and writer won Oscars for “The Godfather” and “Million Dollar Baby,” developed the raucous prison-sports comedy “The Longest Yard” and helped create the hit sitcom “Hogan’s Heroes." A spokesperson says Ruddy died Saturday at the UCLA Medical Center. Ruddy produced more than 30 movies and was on hand for the very top and the very bottom. “The Godfather” and “Million Dollar Baby” were box office hits and winners of best picture Oscars. But Ruddy also helped give us “Cannonball Run II” and “Megaforce,” nominees for Golden Raspberry awards for worst movie of the year. Larry Allen, one of the most dominant offensive linemen in the NFL during a 12-year career spent mostly with the Dallas Cowboys, died June 2. He was 52. The Cowboys say Allen died suddenly on Sunday while on vacation with his family in Mexico. Allen was named an All-Pro six consecutive years from 1996-2001 and was inducted into the Pro Football of Hall of Fame in 2013. He said few words but let his blocking do the talking. Allen once bench-pressed 700 pounds and had the speed to chase down opposing running backs. Bob Hope and Janis Paige hug during the annual Christmas show in Saigon, Vietnam, Dec. 25, 1964. Paige, 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 80s, died Sunday, June 2, 2024, of natural causes at her Los Angeles home, longtime friend Stuart Lampert said Monday, June 3. Parnelli Jones, the 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner, died June 4 at Torrance Memorial Medical Center after a battle with Parkinson’s disease, his son said. Jones was 90. At the time of his death, Jones was the oldest living winner of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Rufus Parnell Jones was born in Texarkana, Arkansas, in 1933 but moved to Torrance as a young child and never left. It was there that he became “Parnelli” because his given name of Rufus was too well known for him to compete without locals knowing that he wasn’t old enough to race. Boston Celtics' John Havlicek (17) is defended by Philadelphia 76ers' Chet Walker (25) during the first half of an NBA basketball playoff game April 14, 1968, in Boston. Walker, a seven-time All-Star forward who helped Wilt Chamberlain and the 76ers win the 1967 NBA title, died June 8. He was 84. The National Basketball Players Association confirmed Walker's death, according to NBA.com . The 76ers, Chicago Bulls and National Basketball Retired Players Association also extended their condolences on social media on Saturday, June 8, 2024. The Rev. James Lawson Jr. speaks Sept. 17, 2015, in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Lawson Jr., an apostle of nonviolent protest who schooled activists to withstand brutal reactions from white authorities as the Civil Rights Movement gained traction, has died, his family said Monday. He was 95. His family said Lawson died on Sunday after a short illness in Los Angeles, where he spent decades working as a pastor, labor movement organizer and university professor. Lawson was a close adviser to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who called him “the leading theorist and strategist of nonviolence in the world.” Lawson met King in 1957, after spending three years in India soaking up knowledge about Mohandas K. Gandhi’s independence movement. King would travel to India himself two years later, but at the time, he had only read about Gandhi in books. Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Jerry West, representing the 1960 USA Olympic Team, is seen Aug. 13, 2010, during the enshrinement news conference at the Hall of Fame Museum in Springfield, Mass. Jerry West, who was selected to the Basketball Hall of Fame three times in a storied career as a player and executive, and whose silhouette is considered to be the basis of the NBA logo, died June 12, the Los Angeles Clippers announced. He was 86. West, nicknamed “Mr. Clutch” for his late-game exploits as a player, was an NBA champion who went into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1980 and again as a member of the gold medal-winning 1960 U.S. Olympic Team in 2010. He will be enshrined for a third time later this year as a contributor, and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called West “one of the greatest executives in sports history.” Actor and director Ron Simons, seen Jan. 23, 2011, during the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, died June 12. Simons turned into a formidable screen and stage producer, winning four Tony Awards and having several films selected at the Sundance Film Festival. He won Tonys for producing “Porgy and Bess,” “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” and “Jitney.” He also co-produced “Hughie,” with Forest Whitaker, “The Gin Game,” starring Cicely Tyson and James Earl Jones, “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations,” an all-Black production of “A Streetcar Named Desire,” the revival of "for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf" and the original work “Thoughts of a Colored Man.” He was in the films “27 Dresses” and “Mystery Team,” as well as on the small screen in “The Resident,” “Law & Order,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and “Law & Order: SVU.” Bob Schul of West Milton, Ohio, hits the tape Oct. 18, 1964, to win the 5,000 meter run at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Schul, the only American distance runner to win the 5,000 meters at the Olympics, died June 16. He was 86. His death was announced by Miami University in Ohio , where Schul shined on the track and was inducted into the school’s hall of fame in 1973. Schul predicted gold leading into the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and followed through with his promise. On a rainy day in Japan, he finished the final lap in a blistering 54.8 seconds to sprint to the win. His white shorts were covered in mud at the finish. He was inducted into the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1991. He also helped write a book called “In the Long Run.” San Francisco Giants superstar Willie Mays poses for a photo during baseball spring training in 1972. Mays, the electrifying “Say Hey Kid” whose singular combination of talent, drive and exuberance made him one of baseball’s greatest and most beloved players, died June 18. He was 93. The center fielder, who began his professional career in the Negro Leagues in 1948, had been baseball’s oldest living Hall of Famer. He was voted into the Hall in 1979, his first year of eligibility, and in 1999 followed only Babe Ruth on The Sporting News’ list of the game’s top stars. The Giants retired his uniform number, 24, and set their AT&T Park in San Francisco on Willie Mays Plaza. Mays died two days before a game between the Giants and St. Louis Cardinals to honor the Negro Leagues at Rickwood Field in Birmingham , Alabama. Over 23 major league seasons, virtually all with the New York/San Francisco Giants but also including one in the Negro Leagues, Mays batted .301, hit 660 home runs, totaled 3,293 hits, scored more than 2,000 runs and won 12 Gold Gloves. He was Rookie of the Year in 1951, twice was named the Most Valuable Player and finished in the top 10 for the MVP 10 other times. His lightning sprint and over-the-shoulder grab of an apparent extra base hit in the 1954 World Series remains the most celebrated defensive play in baseball history. For millions in the 1950s and ’60s and after, the smiling ballplayer with the friendly, high-pitched voice was a signature athlete and showman during an era when baseball was still the signature pastime. Awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2015, Mays left his fans with countless memories. But a single feat served to capture his magic — one so untoppable it was simply called “The Catch.” Actor Donald Sutherland appears Oct. 13, 2017, at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, Calif. Sutherland, the Canadian actor whose wry, arrestingly off-kilter screen presence spanned more than half a century of films from “M.A.S.H.” to “The Hunger Games,” died June 20. He was 88. Kiefer Sutherland said on X he believed his father was one of the most important actors in the history of film: “Never daunted by a role, good, bad or ugly. He loved what he did and did what he loved, and one can never ask for more than that.” The tall and gaunt Sutherland, who flashed a grin that could be sweet or diabolical, was known for offbeat characters like Hawkeye Pierce in Robert Altman's "M.A.S.H.," the hippie tank commander in "Kelly's Heroes" and the stoned professor in "Animal House." Before transitioning into a long career as a respected character actor, Sutherland epitomized the unpredictable, antiestablishment cinema of the 1970s. He never stopped working, appearing in nearly 200 films and series. Over the decades, Sutherland showed his range in more buttoned-down — but still eccentric — roles in Robert Redford's "Ordinary People" and Oliver Stone's "JFK." More, recently, he starred in the “Hunger Games” films. A memoir, “Made Up, But Still True,” is due out in November. Actor Bill Cobbs, a cast member in "Get Low," arrives July 27, 2010, at the premiere of the film in Beverly Hills, Calif. Cobbs, the veteran character actor who became a ubiquitous and sage screen presence as an older man, died June 25. He was 90. A Cleveland native, Cobbs acted in such films as “The Hudsucker Proxy,” “The Bodyguard” and “Night at the Museum.” He made his first big-screen appearance in a fleeting role in 1974's “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three." He became a lifelong actor with some 200 film and TV credits. The lion share of those came in his 50s, 60s, and 70s, as filmmakers and TV producers turned to him again and again to imbue small but pivotal parts with a wizened and worn soulfulness. Cobbs appeared on television shows including “The Sopranos," “The West Wing,” “Sesame Street” and “Good Times.” He was Whitney Houston's manager in “The Bodyguard” (1992), the mystical clock man of the Coen brothers' “The Hudsucker Proxy” (1994) and the doctor of John Sayles' “Sunshine State” (2002). He played the coach in “Air Bud” (1997), the security guard in “Night at the Museum” (2006) and the father on “The Gregory Hines Show." Cobbs rarely got the kinds of major parts that stand out and win awards. Instead, Cobbs was a familiar and memorable everyman who left an impression on audiences, regardless of screen time. He won a Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding limited performance in a daytime program for the series “Dino Dana” in 2020. Independent gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman speaks with the media Nov. 7, 2009, at his campaign headquarters in Austin, Texas. The singer, songwriter, satirist and novelist, who led the alt-country band Texas Jewboys, toured with Bob Dylan, sang with Willie Nelson, and dabbled in politics with campaigns for Texas governor and other statewide offices, died June 27. He was 79 and had suffered from Parkinson's disease. Often called “The Kinkster" and sporting sideburns, a thick mustache and cowboy hat, Friedman earned a cult following and reputation as a provocateur throughout his career across musical and literary genres. In the 1970s, his satirical country band Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys wrote songs with titles such as “They Ain't Makin' Jews Like Jesus Anymore” and “Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in Bed.” Friedman joined part of Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue tour in 1976. By the 1980s, Friedman was writing crime novels that often included a version of himself, and he wrote a column for Texas Monthly magazine in the 2000s. Friedman's run at politics brought his brand of irreverence to the serious world of public policy. In 2006, Friedman ran for governor as an independent in a five-way race that included incumbent Republican Rick Perry. Friedman launched his campaign against the backdrop of the Alamo. Martin Mull participates in "The Cool Kids" panel during the Fox Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour on Aug. 2, 2018, at The Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. Mull, whose 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,” died June 28. He was 80. Mull, who was also a guitarist and painter, came to national fame with a recurring role on the Norman Lear-created satirical soap opera “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” and the starring role in its spinoff, “Fernwood Tonight." His first foray into show business was as a songwriter, penning the 1970 semi-hit “A Girl Named Johnny Cash” for singer Jane Morgan. He would combine music and comedy in an act that he brought to hip Hollywood clubs in the 1970s. Mull often played slightly sleazy, somewhat slimy and often smarmy characters as he did as Teri Garr's boss and Michael Keaton's foe in 1983's “Mr. Mom.” He played Colonel Mustard in the 1985 movie adaptation of the board game “Clue,” which, like many things Mull appeared in, has become a cult classic. The 1980s also brought what many thought was his best work, “A History of White People in America,” a mockumentary that first aired on Cinemax. Mull co-created the show and starred as a “60 Minutes” style investigative reporter investigating all things milquetoast and mundane. Willard was again a co-star. In the 1990s he was best known for his recurring role on several seasons on “Roseanne,” in which he played a warmer, less sleazy boss to the title character, an openly gay man whose partner was played by Willard, who died in 2020 . Mull would later play private eye Gene Parmesan on “Arrested Development,” a cult-classic character on a cult-classic show, and would be nominated for an Emmy, his first, in 2016 for a guest run on “Veep.” Screenwriter Robert Towne poses at The Regency Hotel, March 7, 2006, in New York. Towne, the Oscar-winning screenplay writer of "Shampoo," "The Last Detail" and other acclaimed films whose work on "Chinatown" became a model of the art form and helped define the jaded allure of his native Los Angeles, died Monday, July 1, 2024, surrounded by family at his home in Los Angeles, said publicist Carri McClure. She declined to comment on any cause of death. Vic Seixas of the United States backhands a volley from Denmark's Jurgen Ulrich in the first round of men's singles match at Wimbledon, England, June 27, 1967. Vic Seixas, a Wimbledon winner and tennis Hall of Famer who was the oldest living Grand Slam champion, has died July 5 at the age of 100. The International Tennis Hall of Fame announced Seixas’ death on Saturday July 6, 2024, based on confirmation from his daughter Tori. In this June 30, 2020, file photo, Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., speaks to reporters following a GOP policy meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington. Former Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma died July 9. He was 89. The family says in a statement that the Republican had a stroke during the July Fourth holiday and died Tuesday morning. Inhofe was a powerful fixture in state politics for decades. He doubted that climate change was caused by human activity, calling the theory “the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people.” As Oklahoma’s senior U.S. senator, he was a staunch supporter of the state’s military installations. He was elected to a fifth Senate term in 2020 and stepped down in early 2023. The Oak Ridge Boys, from left, Joe Bonsall, Richard Sterban, Duane Allen and William Lee Golden hold their awards for Top Vocal Group and Best Album of the Year for "Ya'll Come Back Saloon", during the 14th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Los Angeles, Calif., May 3, 1979. Bonsall died on July 9, 2024, from complications of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Hendersonville, Tenn. He was 76. A Philadelphia native and resident of Hendersonville, Tennessee, Bonsall joined the Oak Ridge Boys in 1973, which originally formed in the 1940s. He saw the band through its golden period in the '80s and beyond, which included their signature 1981 song “Elvira.” The hit marked a massive crossover moment for the group, reaching No. 1 on the country chart and No. 5 on Billboard’s all-genre Hot 100. The group is also known for such hits as 1982’s “Bobbie Sue." Shelley Duvall poses for photographers at the 30th Cannes Film Festival in France, May 27, 1977. Duvall, whose wide-eyed, winsome presence was a mainstay in the films of Robert Altman and who co-starred in Stanley Kubrick's “The Shining,” died July 11. She was 75. Dr. Ruth Westheimer holds a copy of her book "Sex for Dummies" at the International Frankfurt Book Fair 'Frankfurter Buchmesse' in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2007. Westheimer, the sex therapist who became a pop icon, media star and best-selling author through her frank talk about once-taboo bedroom topics, died on July 12, 2024. She was 96. Richard Simmons sits for a portrait in Los Angeles, June 23, 1982. Simmons, a fitness guru who urged the overweight to exercise and eat better, died July 13 at the age of 76. Simmons was a 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. Simmons was a former 268-pound teen who shared his hard-won weight loss tips as the host of the Emmy-winning daytime “Richard Simmons Show" and the “Sweatin' to the Oldies” line of exercise videos, which became a cultural phenomenon. Former NFL receiver Jacoby Jones died July 14 at age 40. Jones' 108-yard kickoff return in 2013 remains the longest touchdown in Super Bowl history. The Houston Texans were Jones’ team for the first five seasons of his career. They announced his death on Sunday. In a statement released by the NFL Players Association, his family said he died at his home in New Orleans. A cause of death was not given. Jones played from 2007-15 for the Texans, Baltimore Ravens, San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers. He made several huge plays for the Ravens during their most recent Super Bowl title season, including that kick return. The "Beverly Hills, 90210" star whose life and career were roiled by tabloid stories, Shannen Doherty died July 13 at 53. Doherty's publicist said the actor died Saturday following years with breast cancer. Catapulted to fame as Brenda in “Beverly Hills, 90210,” she worked in big-screen films including "Mallrats" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" and in TV movies including "A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story," in which she played the "Gone with the Wind" author. Doherty co-starred with Holly Marie Combs and Alyssa Milano in the series “Charmed” from 1998-2001; appeared in the “90210” sequel series seven years later and competed on “Dancing with the Stars” in 2010. Actor James Sikking poses for a photograph at the Los Angeles gala celebrating the 20th anniversary of the National Organization for Women, Dec. 1, 1986. Sikking, who starred as a hardened police lieutenant on “Hill Street Blues” and as the titular character's kindhearted dad on “Doogie Howser, M.D.,” died July 13 of complications from dementia, his publicist Cynthia Snyder said in a statement. He was 90. Pat Williams chats with media before the 2004 NBA draft in Orlando, Fla. Williams, a co-founder of the Orlando Magic and someone who spent more than a half-century working within the NBA, died July 17 from complications related to viral pneumonia. The team announced the death Wednesday. Williams was 84. He started his NBA career as business manager of the Philadelphia 76ers in 1968, then had stints as general manager of the Chicago Bulls, the Atlanta Hawks and the 76ers — helping that franchise win a title in 1983. Williams was later involved in starting the process of bringing an NBA team to Orlando. The league’s board of governors granted an expansion franchise in 1987, and the team began play in 1989. Lou Dobbs speaks Feb. 24, 2017, at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Oxon Hill, Md. Dobbs, the conservative political pundit and veteran cable TV host who was a founding anchor for CNN and later was a nightly presence on Fox Business Network for more than a decade, died July 18. He was 78. His death was announced in a post on his official X account, which called him a “fighter till the very end – fighting for what mattered to him the most, God, his family and the country.” He hosted “Lou Dobbs Tonight” on Fox from 2011 to 2021, following two separate stints at CNN. No cause of death was given. Bob Newhart, center, poses with members of the cast and crew of the "Bob Newhart Show," from top left, Marcia Wallace, Bill Daily, Jack Riley, and, Suzanne Pleshette, foreground left, and Dick Martin at TV Land's 35th anniversary tribute to "The Bob Newhart Show" on Sept. 5, 2007, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Newhart has died at age 94. Jerry Digney, Newhart’s publicist, says the actor died July 18 in Los Angeles after a series of short illnesses. The accountant-turned-comedian gained fame with a smash album and became one of the most popular TV stars of his time. Newhart was a Chicago psychologist in “The Bob Newhart Show” in the 1970s and a Vermont innkeeper on “Newhart” in the 1980s. Both shows featured a low-key Newhart surrounded by eccentric characters. The second had a twist ending in its final show — the whole series was revealed to have been a dream by the psychologist he played in the other show. Cheng Pei-pei, a Chinese-born martial arts film actor who starred in Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” died July 17 at age 78. Her family says Cheng, who had been diagnosed with a rare illness with symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease, passed away Wednesday at home surrounded by her loved ones. The Shanghai-born film star became a household name in Hong Kong, once dubbed the Hollywood of the Far East, for her performances in martial arts movies in the 1960s. She played Jade Fox, who uses poisoned needles, in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” which was released in 2000, grossed $128 million in North America and won four Oscars. Abdul “Duke” Fakir holds his life time achievement award backstage at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 8, 2009, in Los Angeles. The last surviving original member of the Four Tops died July 22. Abdul “Duke” Fakir was 88. He was a charter member of the Motown group along with lead singer Levi Stubbs, Renaldo “Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton. Between 1964 and 1967, the Tops had 11 top 20 hits and two No. 1′s: “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” and the operatic classic “Reach Out I’ll Be There.” Other songs, often stories of romantic pain and longing, included “Baby I Need Your Loving,” “Standing in the Shadows of Love,” “Bernadette” and “Just Ask the Lonely.” Sculptress Elizabeth Catlett, left, then-Washington D.C. Mayor Sharon Pratt Dixon, center, and then-curator, division of community life, Smithsonian institution Bernice Johnson Reagon chat during the reception at the Candace awards on June 25, 1991 in New York. Reagon, a musician and scholar who used her rich, powerful contralto voice in the service of the American Civil Rights Movement and human rights struggles around the world, died on July 16, 2024, according to her daughter's social media post. She was 81. John Mayall, the British blues musician whose influential band the Bluesbreakers was a training ground for Eric Clapton, Mick Fleetwood and many other superstars, died July 22. He was 90. He is credited with helping develop the English take on urban, Chicago-style rhythm and blues that played an important role in the blues revival of the late 1960s. A statement on Mayall's official Instagram page says he died Monday at his home in California. Though Mayall never approached the fame of some of his illustrious alumni, he was still performing in his late 80s, pounding out his version of Chicago blues. Erica Ash, an actor and comedian skilled in sketch comedy who starred in the parody series “Mad TV” and “Real Husbands of Hollywood,” has died. She was 46. Her publicist and a statement by her mother, Diann, says Ash died July 28 in Los Angeles of cancer. Ash impersonated Michelle Obama and Condoleeza Rice on “Mad TV,” a Fox sketch series, and was a key performer on the Rosie O’Donnell-created series “The Big Gay Sketch Show.” Her other credits included “Scary Movie V,” “Uncle Drew” and the LeBron James-produced basketball dramedy “Survivor’s Remorse.” On the BET series “Real Husbands of Hollywood,” Ash played the ex-wife of Kevin Hart’s character. Jack Russell, the lead singer of the bluesy '80s metal band Great White whose hits included “Once Bitten Twice Shy” and “Rock Me” and was fronting his band the night 100 people died in a 2003 nightclub fire in Rhode Island, died Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. He was 63. Juan “Chi Chi” Rodriguez, 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, died Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. Susan Wojcicki, the former YouTube chief executive officer and longtime Google executive, died Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, after suffering with non small cell lung cancer for the past two years. She was 56. Frank Selvy, an All-America guard at Furman who scored an NCAA Division I-record 100 points in a game and later played nine NBA seasons, died Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. He was 91. Wallace “Wally” Amos, the creator of the cookie empire that took his name and made it famous and who went on to become a children’s literacy advocate, died Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, from complications with dementia. He was 88. Gena Rowlands, 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, and who later charmed audiences in her son's tear-jerker “The Notebook,” died Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. She was 94. Peter Marshall, the actor and singer turned game show host who played straight man to the stars for 16 years on “The Hollywood Squares,” died. Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 He was 98. Alain Delon, the internationally acclaimed French actor who embodied both the bad guy and the policeman and made hearts throb around the world, died Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024. He was 88. Phil Donahue, whose pioneering daytime talk show launched an indelible television genre that brought success to Oprah Winfrey, Montel Williams, Ellen DeGeneres and many others, died Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, after a long illness. He was 88. Al Attles, 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, died Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. He was 87. John Amos, who 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,” died Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024. He was 84. James Darren, 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,” died Monday, Sept. 2, 2024. He was 88. James Earl Jones, who overcame racial prejudice and a severe stutter to become a celebrated icon of stage and screen has died. He was 93. His agent, Barry McPherson, confirmed Jones died Sept. 9 at home. Jones was a pioneering actor who eventually lent his deep, commanding voice to CNN, “The Lion King” and Darth Vader. Working deep into his 80s, he won two Emmys, a Golden Globe, two Tony Awards, a Grammy, the National Medal of Arts, the Kennedy Center Honors and was given an honorary Oscar and a special Tony for lifetime achievement. In 2022, a Broadway theater was renamed in his honor. Frankie Beverly, who with his band Maze inspired generations of fans with his smooth, soulful voice and lasting anthems including “Before I Let Go,” has died. He was 77. His family said in a post on the band’s website and social media accounts that Beverly died Sept. 10. In the post, which asked for privacy, the family said “he lived his life with a pure soul, as one would say, and for us, no one did it better.” The post did not say his cause of death or where he died. Beverly, whose songs include “Joy and Pain,” “Love is the Key,” and “Southern Girl,” finished his farewell “I Wanna Thank You Tour” in his hometown of Philadelphia in July. Joe Schmidt, the Hall of Fame linebacker who helped the Detroit Lions win NFL championships in 1953 and 1957 and later coached the team, has died. He was 92. The Lions said family informed the team Schmidt died Sept. 11. A cause of death was not provided. One of pro football’s first great middle linebackers, Schmidt played his entire NFL career with the Lions from 1953-65. An eight-time All-Pro, he was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973 and the college football version in 2000. Born in Pittsburgh, Schmidt played college football in his hometown at Pitt. Chad McQueen, an actor known for his performances in the “Karate Kid” movies and the son of the late actor and racer Steve McQueen, died Sep. 11. His lawyer confirmed his death at age 63. McQueen's family shared a statement on social media saying he lived a life “filled with love and dedication.” McQueen was a professional race car driver, like his father, and competed in the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Daytona races. He is survived by his wife Jeanie and three children, Chase, Madison and Steven, who is an actor best known for “The Vampire Diaries.” Tito Jackson, one of the brothers who made up the beloved pop group the Jackson 5, died at age 70 on Sept. 15. Jackson was the third of nine children, including global superstars Michael and Janet. The Jackson 5 included brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael. They signed with Berry Gordy’s Motown empire in the 1960s. The group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 and produced several No. 1 hits in the 1970s, including “ABC,” “I Want You Back” and “I’ll Be There.” John David “JD” Souther has died. He was a prolific songwriter and musician whose collaborations with the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt helped shape the country-rock sound that took root in Southern California in the 1970s. Souther joined in on some of the Eagles’ biggest hits, such as “Best of My Love,” “New Kid in Town,” and “Heartache Tonight." The Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee also collaborated with James Taylor, Bob Seger, Bonnie Raitt and many more. His biggest hit as a solo artist was “You’re Only Lonely.” He was about to tour with Karla Bonoff. Souther died Sept. 17 at his home in New Mexico, at 78. In this photo, JD Souther and Alison Krauss attend the Songwriters Hall of Fame 44th annual induction and awards gala on Thursday, June 13, 2013 in New York. Sen. Dan Evans stands with his three sons, from left, Mark, Bruce and Dan Jr., after he won the election for Washington's senate seat in Seattle, Nov. 8, 1983. Evans, a former Washington state governor and a U.S. Senator, died Sept. 20. The popular Republican was 98. He served as governor from 1965 to 1977, and he was the keynote speaker at the 1968 National Republican Convention. In 1983, Evans was appointed to served out the term of Democratic Sen. Henry “Scoop” Jackson after he died in office. Evans opted not to stand for election in 1988, citing the “tediousness" of the Senate. He later served as a regent at the University of Washington, where the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy and Governance bears his name. Eugene “Mercury” Morris, who starred for the unbeaten 1972 Miami Dolphins as part of a star-studded backfield and helped the team win two Super Bowl titles, died Sept. 21. He was 77. The team on Sunday confirmed the death of Morris, a three-time Pro Bowl selection. In a statement, his family said his “talent and passion left an indelible mark on the sport.” Morris was the starting halfback and one of three go-to runners that Dolphins coach Don Shula utilized in Miami’s back-to-back title seasons of 1972 and 1973, alongside Pro Football Hall of Famer Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick. Morris led the Dolphins in rushing touchdowns in both of those seasons. John Ashton, the veteran character actor who memorably played the gruff but lovable police detective John Taggart in the “Beverly Hills Cop” films, died Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. He was 76. Maggie Smith, who won an Oscar for 1969 film “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” and won new fans in the 21st century as the dowager Countess of Grantham in “Downton Abbey” and Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films, died Sept. 27 at 89. Smith's publicist announced the news Friday. She was frequently rated the preeminent British female performer of a generation that included Vanessa Redgrave and Judi Dench. “Jean Brodie” brought her the Academy Award for best actress in 1969. Smith added a supporting actress Oscar for “California Suite” in 1978. Kris Kristofferson, a Rhodes scholar with a deft writing style and rough charisma who became a country music superstar and an A-list Hollywood actor, died Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. He was 88. Drake Hogestyn, the “Days of Our Lives” star who appeared on the show for 38 years, died Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. He was 70. Ron Ely, the tall, musclebound actor who played the title character in the 1960s NBC series “Tarzan,” died Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at age 86. Dikembe Mutombo, a Basketball Hall of Famer who was one of the best defensive players in NBA history and a longtime global ambassador for the game, died Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, from brain cancer, the league announced. He was 58. Frank Fritz, left, part of a two-man team who drove around the U.S. looking for antiques and collectibles to buy and resell on the reality show “American Pickers,” died Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. He was 60. He's shown here with co-host Mike Wolfe at the A+E Networks 2015 Upfront in New York on April 30, 2015. Pete Rose, 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, died Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. He was 83. Cissy Houston, the mother of Whitney Houston and a two-time Grammy winner who performed alongside superstar musicians like Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin, died Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in her New Jersey home. She was 91. Ethel Kennedy, the wife of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, who raised their 11 children after he was assassinated and remained dedicated to social causes and the family’s legacy for decades thereafter, died on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, her family said. She was 96. Former One Direction singer Liam Payne, 31, whose chart-topping British boy band generated a global following of swooning fans, was found dead Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, local officials said. He was 31. Mitzi Gaynor, among the last survivors of the so-called golden age of the Hollywood musical, died of natural causes in Los Angeles on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. She was 93. Fernando Valenzuela, 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, died Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. He was 63. Jack Jones, a Grammy-winning crooner known for “The Love Boat” television show theme song, died, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. He was 86. Phil Lesh, a founding member of the Grateful Dead, died Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, at age 84. Teri Garr, the quirky comedy actor who rose from background dancer in Elvis Presley movies to co-star of such favorites as "Young Frankenstein" and "Tootsie," died Tuesday, Oct 29, 2024. She was 79. Quincy Jones, the multitalented 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, died Sunday, Nov 3, 2024. He was 91 Bobby Allison, founder of racing’s “Alabama Gang” and a NASCAR Hall of Famer, died Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. He was 86. Song Jae-lim, a South Korean actor known for his roles in K-dramas “Moon Embracing the Sun” and “Queen Woo,” was found dead at his home in capital Seoul, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. He was 39. British actor Timothy West, 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, died Tuesday, Nov 12, 2024. He was 90. Bela Karolyi, the charismatic if polarizing gymnastics coach who turned young women into champions and the United States into an international power in the sport, died Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. He was 82. Arthur Frommer, whose "Europe on 5 Dollars a Day" guidebooks revolutionized leisure travel by convincing average Americans to take budget vacations abroad, died Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. He was 95. Former Chicago Bulls forward Bob Love, a three-time All-Star who spent 11 years in the NBA, died Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. He was 81. Chuck Woolery, 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, died Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. He was 83. Barbara Taylor Bradford, 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, died Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. She was 91. Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, the brash speedster who shattered stolen base records and redefined baseball's leadoff position, died Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. He was 65. Greg Gumbel, left, watches as then-Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun talks to Butler head coach Brad Stevens, right, prior to taping a television interview April 3, 2011, for that year's men's NCAA Final Four college basketball championship game in Houston. Gumbel's family announced Dec. 27 that the longtime CBS sportscaster died from cancer at the age of 78. Sign up to get the most recent local obituaries delivered to your inbox.Mice Model Market Size: Strong Growth Ahead (2024-2032)

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To people outside of North America, the NORAD Santa Tracker can seem a little strange. North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) uses the most sophisticated technology in the world, designed to track missile threats against the continent, to simulate Father Christmas out on his delivery route bringing presents to children across the world. But how did the military get so caught up in celebrating Christmas? With the raw power of nuclear weapons shown to the world in the closing months of World War 2, governments across the world became terrified of what missiles could do. The fear of nuclear armageddon became so widespread, school pupils were training about what to do in the case of an attack. Russian and Chinese military aircraft intercepted by NORAD jets Off Alaskan coast amid WW3 tensions Chilling warning the threat from Vladimir Putin's Russia will 'endure beyond the end of Ukraine war' It began when President Eisenhower gave the green light for a press release that offered "Christmas Guidance" to journalists covering the war. According to this release, Santa Claus was appointed as the head of a new North Pole Command. Alongside him, a team of gnomes worked tirelessly, their specific locations withheld for secrecy. The communication suggested that Saint Nick's ability to visit every child's home in one night was achieved through undisclosed "secret devices" and "special scientific techniques." Despite the aim of promoting Eisenhower's management of the wartime situation, it resonated well with the public. As World War II worries faded, the Cold War brought new fears and seizing an opportunity to highlight its vigilance, the US Air Force, broadcasted a cheerful message on Christmas Eve 1948. They claimed their "early warning radar net to the north" had picked up something extraordinary - an unidentified sleigh pulled by eight reindeer. The ground was set for the annual Santa tracker to be born. According to the slightly-fairytale story, it began with a misprint in a Colorado newspaper. Cold War fears led to money being poured into missile defence systems and in the US the setting up of the Air Defense Command which later merged with the Royal Canadian Air Force's Air Defence Command to create NORAD. Its primary mission has always been to monitor and defend North American airspace from potential threats, including airborne attacks and missile launches. Based in Colorado Springs, NORAD uses radar, satellites, and fighter jets to track and intercept objects in the sky. And once a year this is focused on Santa Claus. NORAD's predecessor was the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) and it was there in 1955, the tradition of tracking Santa began. On December 24, 1955, a Sears Roebuck & Co. store in Colorado Springs ran an advertisement in the local newspaper with a phone number for children to call Santa Claus. The story goes that the phone number was misprinted by one digit, and instead of reaching Santa’s workshop, it directed calls to the CONAD base. Colonel Harry Shoup, who was working at CONAD that night, answered the phone to hear a child excitedly asking to speak to Santa. Deciding to have some fun with it, Shoup and some other radar operatives began tracking Santa’s movements using military radar, reassuring children that Santa was indeed on his way. Over the course of that evening, more and more children called, and Shoup’s team continued to provide updates on Santa's journey across the globe. As sweet as the story is, a lot of the story is hard to verify. Either way the tradition was leaped on by the military's PR machine and it became a yearly thing. It was a happy reminder of the US' military capability and ability to defend itself from its many enemies abroad. In 1956, CONAD was asked by the USA’s National Press and United Press International if they would track Santa again and Shoup agreed. NORAD took over the responsibility in 1958, and the Santa hotline has run since. But the close connections with the military haven't always been embraced. In 2013, a children's advocacy group said an animated video on the NORAD Tracks Santa website showing fighter jets escorting Santa around the globe, encouraged militarism. A spokesperson for NORAD insisted the fighters in the video were unarmed Canadian Air Force CF-18s, with a large external fuel tank under the belly that might look like a bomb.

It's official: High Wheelers baseball coming to Yuba-SutterIF any member of the Celtic team is entitled to enjoy a little rest and recuperation between matches it is Daizen Maeda. The Japanese internationalist, whose stunning second half goal against Club Brugge at Parkhead on Wednesday night ultimately earned the Glasgow club what could prove to be a vital Champions League point, leaves nothing out on the park when he plays. The 27-year-old is, as opposition sides will readily testify, a bundle of energy who bombs forward and attacks at pace whenever he has the opportunity to do so and tracks back and defends when required. Maeda is a model professional who appreciates the importance of taking down time to recover from his exertions - but the way he chooses to relax is a little different from most athletes. As he looked ahead to the Scottish champions’ punishing run of fixtures in December – they will play six times this month, starting with a William Hill Premiership meeting with Aberdeen at Pittodrie on Wednesday night – the winger revealed that he enjoys nothing more than chasing after his daughter Soyo and son Tensei at the local soft play area. Read more: Nutmeg's nine month odyssey in search of the soul of the Scottish Cup Rangers truth that should settle Lawrence Shankland’s future at Hearts Idah admits he 'got carried away' after dream Celtic start “Regardless of the opposition or the competition, we just have to win the next game and to keep winning,” he said. “We can think of who comes after once we win this next one. “No club which plays this many games can possibly go with the same starting XI every time, so it’s up to whoever is picked to prove themselves because, as I say, we always need to win. “Strong teams have players who can step up and show themselves. We are that kind of team and I am sure we have guys who can do this over the tough period ahead.” (Image: Craig Williamson - SNS Group) Maeda added: “But I want to play every game, so it’s up to me to recover as well as possible so that hopefully I will start. “Me? I recover by playing with the kids. After a lot of games I take them to soft play centres and that refreshes me. Maybe I have a different way of relaxing from the others, but that works for me.” It clearly does. The man who joined Celtic from Yokohama F Marinos in his homeland for a £1.5m transfer fee back in 2022 has long been a firm favourite with supporters. But he has been in inspired form in recent months and endeared himself further to the fans with his spectacular and important equaliser in midweek. However, the 22-times capped wide man felt than neither he nor his team mates performed as well as they could have in the league phase encounter with the Belgian visitors. He is determined to do better when they play their next European match against Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia on Tuesday week and help secure a result which increases their chances of progressing to the knockout round play-offs. “Every goal is important to me,” he said. “But it was such a big game that it felt really good. As a team in the first half we didn’t perform well and the fans got frustrated, so it was a difficult time, but then we got the goal and the point and we all felt better. Read more: How much have Celtic earned in total in Champions League? Why Rodgers is sure Arne Engels will come good at Celtic Rangers condemn 'draconian & heavy-handed' policing in Nice “Champions League games are the most difficult and we always learn lessons from them. We will learn from this game, because it’s all about experience. "One point in any Champions League game is a good point. We just have to focus on the next one now and take on board what happened. We always want to say that each game has been a good learning experience for us.” Maeda is sure that Celtic centre-half Cameron Carter-Vickers, who passed the ball into his own net in the first half of the Brugge game to gift the away side the lead, will lead by example when the game against Zagreb gets underway in the Maksimir Stadium later this month. He was impressed at how all of Brendan Rodgers ’ players rallied around the defender and then fought back to draw 1-1 and remain in the top 24 of the Champions League table after five matches. “In the time I have been here, we have never had a huddle as we did after the goal,” he said. “But we are disciplined and it showed how much we wanted to win the game. It was a good gesture in a difficult moment. “What happened to him [Carter-Vickers] was not only his fault, it was a team thing and we will all take part of the responsibility. He has been a leader for this team and he will keep being so.”

Q: This past spring, we tried starting some of our own plants from seed indoors, but they got tall, spindly and weak by the time we wanted to plant them outdoors. What did we do wrong? — Tyler P. A: Seedlings growing tall and spindly indoors is an age-old problem, and the same wisdom holds true now that it did years ago. The problem occurs if plants are started too early and the light level isn’t intense enough. ADVERTISEMENT Because plants grow at different rates, some types need to be started very early, while others should wait until April for seeding indoors. Begonias and onions require many weeks to grow and can be seeded in February. March 1 is the recommended date for seeding petunias, impatiens, coleus and snapdragons. March 15 is the date to seed peppers, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower. Tomatoes and marigolds should wait until April 1, and zinnias until April 15. If seeds are started earlier than their recommended date, plants can languish indoors, becoming lanky and weak. In addition, seedlings need high light levels to remain stocky and strong. Plants grown with too little light often stretch and become weak-stemmed. Seedlings can be grown in a sunny window, but many windows don’t receive full, all-day sunshine as the sun moves across the sky, unless the windows are very wide. The short days of winter and early spring also keep light levels lower than seedlings prefer. A perfect way to provide seedlings with optimal light is with artificial lights, which can be standard LEDs, fluorescent, or special plant-type lights. Tube-type bulbs distribute light over seedling trays better than round bulbs. Seedling trays should be kept within several inches of the bulbs. Lights can be set on a timer with 16 hours on and eight hours off, similar to humans getting the recommended eight hours of sleep, which is how I remember it. Q: Thanks for the recent article on Blue By You salvia. Do you know where we can purchase this perennial come spring? — Rachelle S. A: Blue By You perennial salvia, an All-America Selections award winner and an outstanding feature in our perennial beds and landscapes, has been on the market for about two years, which is relatively recent as new plants go. ADVERTISEMENT As with many new cultivars, it takes time for new plant material to be widely available. Your best bet is to contact locally owned garden centers and inquire, which can be done now. This can give garden centers the opportunity to order the plants if they haven’t already. With the tens of thousands of plant cultivars available, no garden center can stock them all, but if they receive requests for specific types, they can often add them to their selection. Garden centers plan their inventory far in advance of the spring season, so the earlier a request is made, the more likely it can be fulfilled. Q: I know you prefer starting cuttings, such as houseplants, in mixtures of vermiculite, sand or potting mix instead of water. I’m curious why that is. Sometimes I have luck in water, but sometimes the cuttings rot. — Jenny S. A: Some plant types, such as pothos, root very easily in water and can even grow in water for many weeks. Other cutting types rot easily in water, which is why a solid-type medium often works best for coaxing cuttings to root. Sometimes I use high-quality potting mix, other times vermiculite, perlite or sand, and sometimes mixtures. Besides being less prone to rotting, starting cuttings in a solid-type medium has another important advantage. Roots that form in water are accustomed to growing in water, and when the cuttings are transferred into potting mix, there can be a stressful period of adjustment and shock. When roots begin forming in solid media, they are often more fibrous, well-branched and less gangly. Because they’re accustomed to growing in a solid medium, there’s usually less transplant shock when transferred into potting mix. For easy-to-root plants, rooting in water is handy, but solid media has distinct advantages. ADVERTISEMENT If you have a gardening or lawn care question, email Don Kinzler, NDSU Extension-Cass County, at donald.kinzler@ndsu.edu . Questions with broad appeal may be published, so please include your name, city and state for appropriate advice.ORLANDO, Fla. — UCF coach Gus Malzahn is resigning after four seasons with the school. ESPN’s Pete Thamel was the first to report the move, which will see Malzahn to leave to take the offensive coordinator job at Florida State. Malzahn previously worked with FSU coach Mike Norvell during their time at Tulsa under then-coach Todd Graham from 2007-08. The Knights ended a disappointing 4-8 season in which they lost eight of their last nine games, the longest losing streak since 2015. Malzahn, 59, was in the fourth year of a contract through 2028. His buyout, it is reported, would have been $13.75 million. He finished 27-25 at UCF but lost 16 of his last 22 games and was a dismal 4-14 in two seasons in the Big 12. After back-to-back nine-win seasons in 2021-22, the Knights went 6-7 in 2023 and 4-8 in 2024. This season started with high expectations as Malzahn made sweeping changes to the program. He retooled the strength and conditioning department and hired Ted Roof and Tim Harris Jr. as defensive and offensive coordinators, respectively. He also added nearly 50 new players to the roster, leaning heavily on the transfer market. UCF started by winning its first three games against New Hampshire, Sam Houston and a thrilling comeback at TCU, but offensive struggles saw the Knights tumble through a TBD-game losing streak to finish the season. Terry Mohajir hired Malzahn on Feb. 15, 2021, six days after he was hired to replace Danny White. The move came eight weeks after Malzahn had been fired at Auburn after eight seasons of coaching the Tigers. The two briefly worked together at Arkansas State in 2012 before Malzahn left for the Auburn job. “When he [Mohajir] offered the job, I was like, ‘I’m in.’ There wasn’t thinking about or talking about ...,” Malzahn said during his introductory press conference. “This will be one of the best programs in college football in a short time. This is a job that I plan on being here and building it.” UCF opened the 2021 season with non-conference wins over Boise State and Bethune-Cookman before traveling to Louisville on Sept. 17, where quarterback Dillon Gabriel suffered a fractured collarbone in the final minute of a 42-35 loss. Backup Mikey Keene would finish out the season as Gabriel announced his intention to transfer. The Knights would finish the season on the plus side by accepting a bid to join the Big 12 Conference in September and then by defeating Florida 29-17 in the Gasparilla Bowl. Malzahn struck transfer portal gold in the offseason when he signed former Ole Miss quarterback John Rhys Plumlee. Plumlee, a two-sport star with the Rebels, helped guide UCF to the American Athletic Conference Championship in its final season. However, Plumlee’s injury forced the Knights to go with Keene and freshman Thomas Castellanos. The team finished with losses to Tulane in the conference championship and Duke in the Military Bowl. Plumlee would return in 2023 as UCF transitioned to the Big 12 but would go down with a knee injury in the final minute of the Knights’ 18-16 win at Boise State on Sept. 9. He would miss the next four games as backup Timmy McClain took over the team. Even on his return, Plumlee couldn’t help UCF, on a five-game losing streak to open conference play. The Knights got their first Big 12 win at Cincinnati on Nov. 4 and upset No. 15 Oklahoma State the following week, but the team still needed a win over Houston in the regular-season finale to secure a bowl bid for the eighth straight season. From the moment Malzahn stepped on campus, he prioritized recruiting, particularly in Central Florida. “We’re going to recruit like our hair’s on fire,” Malzahn said at the time. “We’re going to go after the best players in America and we’re not backing down to anybody.” From 2007 to 2020, UCF signed 10 four-star high school and junior college prospects. Eight four-star prospects were in the three recruiting classes signed under Malzahn. The 2024 recruiting class earned a composite ranking of 39 from 247Sports, the highest-ranked class in school history. The 2025 recruiting class is ranked No. 41 and has commitments from three four-star prospects. Malzahn has always leaned on the transfer market, signing 60 players over the past three seasons. Some have paid huge dividends, such as Javon Baker, Lee Hunter, Kobe Hudson, Tylan Grable, Bula Schmidt, Amari Kight, Marcellus Marshall, Trent Whittemore, Gage King, Ethan Barr, Deshawn Pace and Plumlee. Others haven’t been as successful, such as quarterback KJ Jefferson, who started the first five games of this season before being benched for poor performance. Jefferson’s struggles forced the Knights to play musical chairs at quarterback, with true freshman EJ Colson, redshirt sophomore Jacurri Brown and redshirt freshman Dylan Rizk all seeing action at one point or another this season. This season’s struggles led to several players utilizing the NCAA’s redshirt rule after four games, including starting slot receiver Xavier Townsend and kicker Colton Boomer, who have also entered the transfer portal. Defensive end Kaven Call posted a letter to Malzahn on Twitter in which he accused the UCF coaching staff of recently kicking him off the team when he requested to be redshirted. Get local news delivered to your inbox!UCF coach Gus Malzahn reportedly resigning to take Florida State OC job

Oscar-winning EP Releases 'Kurt Vonnegut: Reporter on the Afterlife' for Shirley Chisholm Day on 100th birthday 11/30

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In the midst of uncertainty and change, Nani found solace in the realization that he was his own guiding light. He understood that his worth and value extended far beyond the confines of a football pitch. His journey was not defined by the accolades he received or the titles he won, but rather by the resilience, determination, and unwavering spirit that propelled him forward.As the launch of the AI data center approaches, both Sharp and KDDI are committed to ensuring that the project meets the highest standards of quality and performance. Through continuous research and development efforts, the companies aim to push the boundaries of what is possible in the realm of AI and data management, setting new benchmarks for excellence and driving industry-wide innovation.

In the world of football, the name Son Heung-min needs no introduction. The South Korean forward has dazzled fans with his skill, speed, and goal-scoring prowess for both Tottenham Hotspur and the South Korean national team. Recently, Son has faced criticism for a perceived dip in form, but one man who continues to stand by him is none other than former South Korean national team coach, Hong Myung-bo.

However, the controversy surrounding the TGA Players' Voice finalists serves as a reminder of the ongoing debate within the gaming community about the ethics of microtransactions, loot box mechanics, and the commercialization of gaming. As the industry continues to evolve, it is essential for players, developers, and award shows like TGA to engage in constructive dialogue about the future direction of gaming and how to balance profitability with artistic merit and player satisfaction.

Title: Mbappe Responds to Sexual Assault Allegations, Denies Accusations and Clarifies Depression RumorsBarcelona, led by their talisman Lionel Messi, started the season in dominant fashion, stringing together impressive victories and showcasing their trademark attacking flair. However, a recent dip in form coupled with injuries to key players has seen their lead at the top of the table diminish rapidly. The Catalans have faltered in crucial matches, dropping points against lower-ranked teams and failing to capitalize on opportunities to extend their lead.

In the aftermath of the verdict, as reporters swarmed around her, seeking her reaction, Yang Niuhua spoke with a quiet confidence. "I have faith in the justice system, and I will continue to fight for my innocence," she declared, her voice steady and unwavering. Her words resonated with a sense of defiance, a refusal to accept defeat in the face of overwhelming odds.

The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of robust safety measures and emergency protocols in data centers, where the protection of valuable data and infrastructure is paramount. Alibaba's swift and efficient response to the fire incident underscores the company's dedication to maintaining high standards of safety and security in its operations.

Title: Unstoppable! Champions League 6-time winners with 5 consecutive victories, sweeping aside Real Madrid and AC Milan, advance to the next round with ease!The team that President-elect Donald Trump has selected to lead federal health agencies in his second administration includes a retired congressman, a surgeon and a former talk-show host. All could play pivotal roles in fulfilling a political agenda that could change how the government goes about safeguarding Americans' health — from health care and medicines to food safety and science research. In line to lead the Department of Health and Human Services secretary is environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine organizer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Trump's choices don't have experience running large bureaucratic agencies, but they know how to talk about health on TV . Centers for Medicare and Medicaid pick Dr. Mehmet Oz hosted a talk show for 13 years and is a well-known wellness and lifestyle influencer. The pick for the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Marty Makary, and for surgeon general, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, are frequent Fox News contributors. Many on the list were critical of COVID-19 measures like masking and booster vaccinations for young people. Some of them have ties to Florida like many of Trump's other Cabinet nominees: Dave Weldon , the pick for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, represented the state in Congress for 14 years and is affiliated with a medical group on the state's Atlantic coast. Nesheiwat's brother-in-law is Rep. Mike Waltz , R-Fla., tapped by Trump as national security adviser. Here's a look at the nominees' potential role in carrying out what Kennedy says is the task to “reorganize” agencies, which have an overall $1.7 trillion budget, employ 80,000 scientists, researchers, doctors and other officials, and effect Americans' daily lives: The Atlanta-based CDC, with a $9.2 billion core budget, is charged with protecting Americans from disease outbreaks and other public health threats. Kennedy has long attacked vaccines and criticized the CDC, repeatedly alleging corruption at the agency. He said on a 2023 podcast that there is "no vaccine that is safe and effective,” and urged people to resist the CDC's guidelines about if and when kids should get vaccinated . The World Health Organization estimates that vaccines have saved more than 150 million lives over the past 50 years, and that 100 million of them were infants. Decades ago, Kennedy found common ground with Weldon , 71, who served in the Army and worked as an internal medicine doctor before he represented a central Florida congressional district from 1995 to 2009. Starting in the early 2000s, Weldon had a prominent part in a debate about whether there was a relationship between a vaccine preservative called thimerosal and autism. He was a founding member of the Congressional Autism Caucus and tried to ban thimerosal from all vaccines. Kennedy, then a senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, believed there was a tie between thimerosal and autism and also charged that the government hid documents showing the danger. Since 2001, all vaccines manufactured for the U.S. market and routinely recommended for children 6 years or younger have contained no thimerosal or only trace amounts, with the exception of inactivated influenza vaccine. Meanwhile, study after study after study found no evidence that thimerosal caused autism. Weldon's congressional voting record suggests he may go along with Republican efforts to downsize the CDC, including to eliminate the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, which works on topics like drownings, drug overdoses and shooting deaths. Weldon also voted to ban federal funding for needle-exchange programs as an approach to reduce overdoses, and the National Rifle Association gave him an “A” rating for his pro-gun rights voting record. Kennedy is extremely critical of the FDA, which has 18,000 employees and is responsible for the safety and effectiveness of prescription drugs, vaccines and other medical products, as well as overseeing cosmetics, electronic cigarettes and most foods. Makary, Trump’s pick to run the FDA, is closely aligned with Kennedy on several topics . The professor at Johns Hopkins University who is a trained surgeon and cancer specialist has decried the overprescribing of drugs, the use of pesticides on foods and the undue influence of pharmaceutical and insurance companies over doctors and government regulators. Kennedy has suggested he'll clear out “entire” FDA departments and also recently threatened to fire FDA employees for “aggressive suppression” of a host of unsubstantiated products and therapies, including stem cells, raw milk , psychedelics and discredited COVID-era treatments like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine. Makary's contrarian views during the COVID-19 pandemic included questioning the need for masking and giving young kids COVID-19 vaccine boosters. But anything Makary and Kennedy might want to do when it comes to unwinding FDA regulations or revoking long-standing vaccine and drug approvals would be challenging. The agency has lengthy requirements for removing medicines from the market, which are based on federal laws passed by Congress. The agency provides health care coverage for more than 160 million people through Medicaid, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act, and also sets Medicare payment rates for hospitals, doctors and other providers. With a $1.1 trillion budget and more than 6,000 employees, Oz has a massive agency to run if confirmed — and an agency that Kennedy hasn't talked about much when it comes to his plans. While Trump tried to scrap the Affordable Care Act in his first term, Kennedy has not taken aim at it yet. But he has been critical of Medicaid and Medicare for covering expensive weight-loss drugs — though they're not widely covered by either . Trump said during his campaign that he would protect Medicare, which provides insurance for older Americans. Oz has endorsed expanding Medicare Advantage — a privately run version of Medicare that is popular but also a source of widespread fraud — in an AARP questionnaire during his failed 2022 bid for a U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania and in a 2020 Forbes op-ed with a former Kaiser Permanente CEO. Oz also said in a Washington Examiner op-ed with three co-writers that aging healthier and living longer could help fix the U.S. budget deficit because people would work longer and add more to the gross domestic product. Neither Trump nor Kennedy have said much about Medicaid, the insurance program for low-income Americans. Trump's first administration reshaped the program by allowing states to introduce work requirements for recipients. Kennedy doesn't appear to have said much publicly about what he'd like to see from surgeon general position, which is the nation's top doctor and oversees 6,000 U.S. Public Health Service Corps members. The surgeon general has little administrative power, but can be an influential government spokesperson on what counts as a public health danger and what to do about it — suggesting things like warning labels for products and issuing advisories. The current surgeon general, Vivek Murthy, declared gun violence as a public health crisis in June. Trump's pick, Nesheiwat, is employed as a New York City medical director with CityMD, a group of urgent care facilities in the New York and New Jersey area, and has been at City MD for 12 years. She also has appeared on Fox News and other TV shows, authored a book on the “transformative power of prayer” in her medical career and endorses a brand of vitamin supplements. She encouraged COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic, calling them “a gift from God” in a February 2021 Fox News op-ed, as well as anti-viral pills like Paxlovid. In a 2019 Q&A with the Women in Medicine Legacy Foundation , Nesheiwat said she is a “firm believer in preventive medicine” and “can give a dissertation on hand-washing alone.” As of Saturday, Trump had not yet named his choice to lead the National Institutes of Health, which funds medical research through grants to researchers across the nation and conducts its own research. It has a $48 billion budget. Kennedy has said he'd pause drug development and infectious disease research to shift the focus to chronic diseases. He'd like to keep NIH funding from researchers with conflicts of interest, and criticized the agency in 2017 for what he said was not doing enough research into the role of vaccines in autism — an idea that has long been debunked . Associated Press writers Amanda Seitz and Matt Perrone and AP editor Erica Hunzinger contributed to this report. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. This story has been corrected to reflect that the health agencies have an overall budget of about $1.7 trillion, not $1.7 billion.

Munster, Ind., Dec. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Finward Bancorp (Nasdaq: FNWD) (the “Bancorp” or “Finward”), the holding company for Peoples Bank (the “Bank”), today announced that on December 20, 2024 the Board of Directors of Finward declared a dividend of $0.12 per share on Finward’s common stock payable on February 3, 2025 to shareholders of record at the close of business on January 21, 2025. About Finward Bancorp Finward Bancorp is a locally managed and independent financial holding company headquartered in Munster, Indiana, whose activities are primarily limited to holding the stock of Peoples Bank. Peoples Bank provides a wide range of personal, business, electronic and wealth management financial services from its 26 locations in Lake and Porter Counties in Northwest Indiana and the Chicagoland area. Finward Bancorp’s common stock is quoted on The NASDAQ Stock Market, LLC under the symbol FNWD. The website ibankpeoples.com provides information on Peoples Bank’s products and services, and Finward Bancorp’s investor relations. Forward Looking Statements This Current Report on Form 8-K may contain forward-looking statements regarding the financial performance, business prospects, growth, and operating strategies of Finward. For these statements, Finward claims the protections of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements in this communication should be considered in conjunction with the other information available about Finward, including the information in the filings Finward makes with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Forward-looking statements provide current expectations or forecasts of future events and are not guarantees of future performance. The forward-looking statements are based on management’s expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by using words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “will” and similar expressions in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance. Although management believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially include: the Bank’s ability to demonstrate compliance with the terms of the previously disclosed consent order and memorandum of understanding entered into between the Bank and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) and Indiana Department of Financial Institutions (“DFI”), or to demonstrate compliance to the satisfaction of the FDIC and/or DFI within prescribed time frames; the Bank’s agreement under the memorandum of understanding to refrain from paying cash dividends without prior regulatory approval; changes in asset quality and credit risk; the inability to sustain revenue and earnings growth; changes in interest rates and capital markets; inflation; customer acceptance of Finward’s products and services; customer borrowing, repayment, investment, and deposit practices; customer disintermediation; the introduction, withdrawal, success, and timing of business initiatives; competitive conditions; the inability to realize cost savings or revenues or to implement integration plans and other consequences associated with mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures; economic conditions; and the impact, extent, and timing of technological changes, capital management activities, and other actions of the Federal Reserve Board and legislative and regulatory actions and reforms. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements are discussed in Finward’s reports (such as the Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K) filed with the SEC and available at the SEC’s Internet website ( www.sec.gov ). All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements concerning Finward or any person acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements above. Except as required by law, Finward does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date the forward-looking statement is made. In addition to the above factors, we also caution that the actual amounts and timing of any future common stock dividends or share repurchases will be subject to various factors, including our capital position, financial performance, capital impacts of strategic initiatives, market conditions, and regulatory and accounting considerations, as well as any other factors that our Board of Directors deems relevant in making such a determination. Therefore, there can be no assurance that we will repurchase shares or pay any dividends to the holders of our common stock, or as to the amount of any such repurchases or dividends. ###

Liu Shishi Named Global Brand Ambassador for Celine!Court orders toddler to be placed with biological parents in landmark IVF mix-up caseFurthermore, industry insiders are also closely monitoring other entertainment mediums, such as movie premieres, TV show launches, and music releases, to ensure that GTA 6 doesn't get lost in the shuffle. In today's media-saturated world, consumers are constantly bombarded with a myriad of options for entertainment, making it all the more crucial for Rockstar Games to seize the spotlight and capture the attention of gamers worldwide.

By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Commerce Department said on Friday it was finalizing an award of up to $4.745 billion to South Korea’s Samsung Electronics and up to $1.61 billion for Texas Instruments to expand chips production. The department also finalized an award of up to $407 million to help fund Amkor Technology planned $2 billion advanced semiconductor packaging facility in Arizona, which is set to be the largest of its kind in the U.S. The Samsung award is about $1.7 billion smaller than the preliminary award announced in April of up to $6.4 billion and reflects its revised smaller investment plans, the department said. A Commerce spokesperson said the department “changed this award to align with market conditions and the scope of the investment the company is making.” A Samsung spokesperson said its “mid-to-long-term investment plan has been partially revised to optimize overall investment efficiency” but declined to disclose details of its agreement with the Commerce Department. In April, administration officials said Samsung planned to invest roughly $45 billion to build two chip production facilities, a research center and a packaging facility by 2030. On Friday, Commerce said Samsung plans to invest $37 billion and complete the projects by the end of the decade. Texas Instruments has pledged to investment more than $18 billion through 2029 in two new factories in Texas and one in Utah, which are expected to create 2,000 manufacturing jobs. The company is getting $900 million for its Texas operations and $700 million. Amkor’s Arizona plant when fully operational will package and test millions of chips for autonomous vehicles, 5G/6G and data centers. Apple will be its first and largest customer with the chips produced at a nearby Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC facility. Congress in August 2022 approved a $39 billion subsidy program for U.S. semiconductor manufacturing and related components along with $75 billion in government lending authority. Last month, Commerce finalized an award of up to $7.86 billion for Intel down from $8.5 billion announced in March after the California-based chips maker won a separate $3 billion award from the Pentagon. Commerce has now finalized the largest awards it offered earlier this year including this week, finalizing up to $458 million for SK Hynix in Indiana. In total, Commerce has finalized over $33 billion of the over $36 billion in proposed incentives funding. “With this investment in Samsung, the U.S. is now officially the only country on the planet that is home to all five leading-edge semiconductor manufacturers,” said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, David Gregorio and Diane Craft) Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content. var ytflag = 0;var myListener = function() {document.removeEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);lazyloadmyframes();};document.addEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);window.addEventListener('scroll', function() {if (ytflag == 0) {lazyloadmyframes();ytflag = 1;}});function lazyloadmyframes() {var ytv = document.getElementsByClassName("klazyiframe");for (var i = 0; i < ytv.length; i++) {ytv[i].src = ytv[i].getAttribute('data-src');}} Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );Recently, a disturbing incident has come to light involving allegations of leadership mockery towards an employee taking bereavement leave, as well as accusations against a popular restaurant chain denying such claims. The incident has sparked outrage and debate within the community, shedding light on the importance of respectful and compassionate leadership in the workplace.

maxbet888 Boxing/MMA Don't miss out on the headlines from Boxing/MMA. Followed categories will be added to My News. Sydney Thomas has revealed her next career move after shooting to fame. The ring girl became a sensation after her glamorous appearance during Jake Paul’s fight with Mike Tyson at the AT&T Stadium. The YouTuber-turned-boxer won the bout by a unanimous decision but the focus was drawn away from the action. That was down to Sydney, who earned the praise of many of the fans watching. Sydney subsequently gained a huge fanbase, now boasting more than 800,000 on Instagram. The 21-year-old revealed that she would be back on ring girl duty in Orlando, Florida. Sydney shared a post on X with a picture attached of herself in her ring girl outfit. It was captioned: “Your favourite ring girl is back. “Catch me in the ring again tomorrow on DAZN.” And indeed she was on show during the bantamweight contest between Antonio Vargas and Winston Guerrero on Saturday (AEDT). She posted an image of herself in the ring to her Instagram stories with the caption, “it’s fight night”. Sydney Thomas returned to the boxing ring overnight. Sydney Thomas shot to fame during the Mike Tyson fight. Pic: Instagram Vargas stormed to victory by knockout and was handed the interim bantamweight belt. It now takes his record to 19 wins with 11 knockouts and only one loss. Fans were overjoyed with Sydney’s return to the ring as they reacted on social media. One posted: “People will watch for you now. I hope you’re pricing that into your fee.” A second wrote: “It’s crazy more people are gonna tune in for a ring girl than the fights.” A third commented: “Stealing the spotlight again, both inside and outside the ring! Can’t wait to see you shine.” Sydney Thomas has seen her online popularity explode. Pic: Instagram Sydney Thomas is in her final year of college. Pic: Instagram Meanwhile, Sydney caused many of her new admirers to celebrate earlier this month. This was down to her breaking up with her boyfriend shortly before becoming famous. She also declared “I’m legal” on her 21st birthday in November. She also stunned during an appearance at the NFL fixture between Denver Broncos and the Las Vegas Raiders at the Allegiant Stadium. - This article first appeared in The Sun and was republished with permission Originally published as Sydney Thomas wows fans with next career move Join the conversation Add your comment to this story To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout More related stories Sport ‘No technology, just pure grind’: Tszyu’s comeback blueprint Tim Tszyu has apologised to Australia for his shock world title defeat to Bakhram Murtazaliev and has already begun planning his comeback to the top of the boxing world. Read more Boxing/MMA Aussie’s fight called off, footage says it all Aussie Sam Goodman’s world undisputed boxing title fight against has been called off in a devastating late blow labelled a “disaster”. Read moreNone

Arne Slot enjoyed his first Christmas No.1 - and it is hard to see him not finishing the season at the top of the charts. It ended up being one of the craziest, madcap and most unforgettable Premier League games you are ever likely to see but it also showed why Liverpool will surely be crowned champions. They humiliated and embarrassed Spurs with their ruthless, sensational and relentless attacking play amid another feast of goals at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. “Are you not entertained, mate?” Ange Postecoglou asked in midweek after their goal feast against Manchester United . Well, no-one could deny that Tottenham do provide great entertainment but that is partly down to their kamikaze defending which allows opponents to run riot. Liverpool are so clearly the best and most consistent team in the Premier League and, even though they conceded three, they could have scored ten. Mo Salah scored twice, provided two assists and there were also brilliant displays by Luis Diaz and Dominik Szoboszlai who were also on the scoresheet. Slot has done an incredible job in his first season in English football, making Liverpool so good to watch and they have strengthened their position at the top going into Christmas . As for Tottenham, they are in serious danger of becoming a laughing stock. This was Sunday League stuff, a throwback to kids football when it was end-to-end and no-one cared about defending or tactical discipline. They are great fun to watch but you also cannot take them seriously. They are marooned in 11th place having lost more games than they have won - and it is no wonder. Postecoglou seems to have given up on defending entirely. Yes, they have a huge injury list and they have not been helped by having to turn to stand-in keeper Fraser Forster who looks a bag of nerves and his distribution is shockingly bad. Tottenham fans deserve huge credit for sticking with the team, for not making the stadium toxic even when Liverpool were threatening to run away with the game but they will never win anything playing like this. You cannot give up on defending because you have injuries. Not when you had Forster playing his first pass out from the back straight to Salah inside three minutes only for the Liverpool star to crash his shot into the side netting. Salah had five big chances - including crashing a shot against the bar - before Liverpool opened the scoring after 18 minutes. Trent Alexander-Arnold ’s sensational cross was headed in by Diaz. Liverpool were 2-0 up after 36 minutes when Andy Robertson’s cross was flicked on by Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister sneaked in to head in. Tottenham gave themselves hope after 41 minutes when Dejan Kulusevski tackled Mac Allister and James Maddison had time to pick his spot and make it 2-1. But it was 3-1 even before half time. Alexander-Arnold’s ball forward released a Liverpool counter-attack before Salah and Szoboszlai combined and the latter slotted home. It was a free-for-all in the second half. Diaz, Cody Gakpo and Szoboszlai were involved before Salah got another amid a goalline scramble. Szoboszlai played in Salah to make it 5-1. This was in danger of becoming truly embarrassing. Tottenham then regained some pride as Dom Solanke played in Kulusevski to volley home and make the scoreline more respectable. Tottenham then made it 3-5. Substitute Brennan Johnson’s flick set up Solanke to score from close range. They couldn’t, could they? No, of course. Salah’s pass set up Diaz and his cross-shot flew into the net for his second goal, Liverpool’s sixth and that killed off the game once and for all. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

AMHERST, Mass. (AP) — Malek Abdelgowad scored 26 points as UMass beat UMass-Boston 86-52 on Saturday. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * AMHERST, Mass. (AP) — Malek Abdelgowad scored 26 points as UMass beat UMass-Boston 86-52 on Saturday. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? AMHERST, Mass. (AP) — Malek Abdelgowad scored 26 points as UMass beat UMass-Boston 86-52 on Saturday. Abdelgowad also contributed 14 rebounds for the Minutemen (4-7). Daniel Rivera added 11 points while going 4 of 6 and 3 of 7 from the free-throw line while they also had 10 rebounds. Jaylen Curry had 10 points and finished 4 of 7 from the field. The Beacons were led in scoring by Cameron Perkins, who finished with 13 points, six rebounds and two steals. Xavier McKenzie added 13 points, two steals and two blocks for UMass-Boston. Raphel Laurent also recorded eight points. UMass took the lead with 15:49 remaining in the first half and did not relinquish it. The score was 47-24 at halftime, with Abdelgowad racking up 18 points. UMass extended its lead to 66-36 during the second half, fueled by a 14-2 scoring run. Abdelgowad scored a team-high eight points in the second half as their team closed out the win. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. Advertisement

The 1955 Le Mans disaster is considered by and large as one of the worst crashes in Formula 1 racing history. On June 11th on the Circuit de la Sarthe driver Lance Macklin swerved out in front of Pierre Levegh's Mercedes 300 SLR, causing the latter to lose control of the vehicle, careen over the protective barriers at about 125 miles per hour, and subsequently explode in the stands — resulting in the deaths of 77 spectators including Levegh. Since this horrendous incident, Formula 1 has experienced much growth in the advancement of safety procedures to protect the well-being of audiences and competitors alike. While a repeat of the 1955 disaster is unlikely, the industry is still not immune to poor performances from low-grade race-cars or their subsequent spin-outs and collisions that come at a very high price . The term "formula" in Formula 1 denotes a set of strict, clearly defined regulations from the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile ("FIA") that all competitors must abide by concerning the components and specifications when designing a compliant race car. While these comprehensive recipes have led to some incredible engineering and technology advancements, particularly the high-performance engines that have gone on to power non-F1 commercial cars , there have also been cases of subpar construction and design that have led to a less-than-stellar crossing of the finish line. From the spontaneous combustions of the McLaren MP4-18 to the painfully slow speeds of the Lola T97/30, here is a look at some of the worst vehicles to compete in the F1 championships. Our first stop is with a race car that actually never even made it through the rigorous, three-stage qualification process for the Formula 1 championship because of the number of severe technical issues it encountered. In 2002, the McLaren MP4-18 was constructed by the company's chief designer, Adrian Newey, in the hopes of finally launching an inventive contender to successfully face down rising competitor Ferrari on the world stage. On the outside, the MP4-18 had an aggressive and edgy style, complete with a radically streamlined body that was considered revolutionary for the industry at the time. However, the unconventional design of the MP4-18 may have landed too far outside the box for racing purposes. The car was plagued by a series of chronic issues ranging from a very sensitive and fickle carbon composite gearbox to frequent spin-outs and crashes. A flawed sensor kept raising problems with the hydraulics, and the exhaust system was so badly compromised that it would cause the car to combust — sometimes even before it entered the track. McLaren only produced four units of this fiery race-car for testing, half of which were completely totaled when undergoing testing by drivers Alexander Wurz and Kimi Raikkonen, who, after getting out of the wreck, firmly stated, "I am never driving that car again." The MP4-18 also suffered from the consequences of poor management decisions. When Newey presented a series of enhancements for the MP4-18 in 2004 to improve safety and quality of performance, such as reconfigured chassis for improved aerodynamics, the managing director Martin Whitmarsh and the majority of the team instead opted to forego corrections and keep the original design. Newey later executed these new concepts throughout his tenure working for Red Bull after departing from McLaren. [Featured image by BYSER via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY 2.0 ] A year after the McLaren MP4-18's failure to make it off the test track, the EJ13 would score an underdog victory at the 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix driven by Giancarlo Fisichella. While the team may have been owned by Irish businessman and TV personality Eddie Jordan, the team struggled to secure adequate funding, which led to reliance on cheaper, less stable components for the race car. At one point, the team alternated the EJ13's Honda engine for the Ford V10, which quickly proved incompatible with the make-up of the vehicle because if the motor wasn't catching fire, it was puttering along at mediocre speeds. The car's design also wasn't adaptable to change and didn't respond well to adjustments by the technicians, leading to very poor showings in the Australian and Malaysian races. So, given the subpar parts used in the development of the EJ13, how was it able to come from the bottom of the pack and secure its miraculous victory? A lot of the Jordan team's success comes down to severe rainy conditions that resulted in six drivers spinning out at turn three due to a broken drain cover. After that, it was a domino effect as more competitors lost control and spun out, while Fisichella continued to wage a strategy of attrition to see how many other competitors they could outlast. Ironically, the EJ13 ended up catching fire in the pit after Fisichella successfully crossed the finish line, which would serve as the perfect metaphor for the team's trajectory after its first and only victory. In contrast to Jordan scrounging for finances to keep their race car afloat, Lola appeared to be flush with cash in the late nineties, given its estimated $45 million budget courtesy of join sponsors MasterCard and Pennzoil. In fact, Lola's sponsors were so eager to compete that they pushed the entire team to compete in 1997, which was a year prior to their scheduled launch so that they would have enough time to thoroughly test the T97/30. With a timeframe of only four months Lola scrambled to assemble a competent team while also reconfiguring the layout of components like the suspension on the fly. More importantly, unlike previous models, the Lola T97/30 was developed purely via computer-aided design ("CAD") and never saw the inside of a physical wind tunnel to test speed aerodynamics. In the end, neither of the Lola T97/30 race-cars driven by Vincenzo Sospiri and Ricardo Rosset qualified at the 1997 Australian Grand Prix due to issues with downshifting and the engines' abysmal power. With the pole time set at 1:29.369 both cars set a time with roughly an 11 to 13-second difference, meaning that neither vehicle qualified under the F1's rule where all competitors need to set a Q1 time within 107% of the leading contender. The final nail in Lola's track record for the season came shortly thereafter when MasterCard pulled their sponsorship of the organization just before they were to enter into the Brazilian championship. [Featured image by Sporti via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY 2.0 ] In 1990, the Italian Life F1 racing team made its debut around the same time that regulations were revamped to prohibit the use of turbocharged engines. In response to this, the team's engineer, Franco Rocchi, developed a customized W12 engine with three banks of four cylinders so that, in theory, the engine would generate the power of a twelve-cylinder. The engine was then placed atop an old chassis purchased from the discontinued First Racing team that failed to qualify for the F1 in 1989. Unfortunately, this heavily reconfigured engine only produced a maximum of 375 bhp according to estimates, which was a good 300 units less than the average for the time. Not only did Life F190 fail to even succeed at the Formula 1 pre-qualification round, but the racer also failed to complete a single lap at the Brazilian championship resulting in the departure of racer Gary Brabham. On average, the race car performed 40 miles per hour slower than the other competitors when handling the speed traps at the Hockenheimring competition. The Life team quickly came to the consensus that the W12 engine was not performing up to racing standards. So, the team decided to switch out the motor with the Judd V8 in order to enhance speed. However, it quickly turned out that the body of the F190 was designed for the proportions of the Judd V8 when the cover flew off when driver Bruno Giacomelli attempted the first turn at the Portugal championship. After that, the team owner, Ernesto Vita, decided to forego any more championships and cut his losses by disbanding the team. 2014 marked a transitional time period in Formula 1 history because, for the first time, the season would feature a rollout of race cars sporting brand-new, regulation-approved turbo-hybrid engines. In the midst of this time of change, Malaysian businessman Tony Fernades was determined to make a change and acquired the Caterham Racing Group. Prior to this point, Fernades owned Lotus Racing, which had been giving a passable yet mediocre performance during the early '10s seasons. However, because the new regulations permitted hybridized engines, the nose-cones on Formula 1 vehicles were whittled and reduced significantly out of precaution for the driver's safety. The result was a new line of aesthetically unappealing racers, of which the Caterham CT05 was by far the ugliest. In fact, because the team had inadequate funds to invest in quality design, they painted the front black in an attempt to hide the unfinished portions of its silhouette from the public onlookers. The Caterham CT05 was also incredibly slow, with neither of its drivers, Marcus Ericsson and Kamui Kobayashi, scoring zero points and unable to break any higher than 11th place during the 2014 season. The team tried to rally and gave the CT05 a total makeover to reduce the unsightly, slap-dash design, but sadly, the attempt was too little too late. Like many of the other vehicles in this list, the Caterham CT05 was not immune to chronic defects and mechanical failures, particularly with the suspension. During a race in Sochi, problems flared up with the suspension, and because there was no replacement part, the team instead wrapped it in carbon as a temporary band-aid, leaving then-driver Kobayashi deeply uneasy. The Caterham Group soon disbanded at the end of the 2014 season due to a lack of finances, although it did make an appearance at the season finale due to an atypical crowdfunding attempt.Quest Diagnostics Inc. stock underperforms Tuesday when compared to competitors despite daily gains

US border surveillance towers face significant operational failures — vast areas unwatched, national security potentially at riskI have always thought of elections as messy stories: big, sprawling narratives with plots and subplots and thousands of characters, told in bits and pieces by narrators far from omniscient — never unified, scattered across media platforms, history books, and the vagaries of memory. Journalists piece together such stories. With visuals, out in the field, in newsrooms, and in broadcast studios. Their storytelling often borrows from fiction to add depth and nuance. But today, journalism stands on the brink of something stranger... something perilous but also potentially richer: the creative possibilities offered by AI. What do I mean by that? AI is no longer merely a tool for automation. It is emerging as a canvas for journalistic creativity, offering ways to tell stories we hadn’t quite imagined. What if journalism could wear a digital face? Or sing? These are no longer fanciful questions. During the recent US election, I worked with a team of young multimedia journalists at Bournemouth University exploring how AI might enhance storytelling. We called it Project L. We tested digital avatars — animated versions of real experts delivering sharp, engaging election commentary that felt at home on social media. We used AI-generated music to report on the tension in the swing states and the resumption of polling after bomb scares in Georgia and Michigan. Trump’s victory speech and Kamala Harris’s concession? We turned those into animated music videos, blending verse and visuals. (See an overview of Project L here.) This is where you might be wondering: why? Why go to such lengths? These experiments weren’t about jumping onto the grand bandwagon of gimmicks that accompany every disruptive technology. Nor were they about producing more content. Project L was about creating different content — stories designed to resonate, connect, and reach audiences in ways traditional formats may not. While much of the conversation around AI focuses on automating news production to cut costs, we wanted to explore how this disruption could reimagine storytelling itself. AI doesn’t just change how stories are told; it redefines what they can be. But there’s a catch. Isn’t there always? Every technological disruption brings opportunities and challenges. With AI, the most immediate concern is job displacement — automation that replaces, rather than enhances, human storytellers. Take the AI avatars we experimented with. In theory, their use democratises production: no studio, no expensive equipment. Just a good script and a laptop. A small team can create quality visual content, in multiple languages, at a fraction of the cost. But this efficiency carries a risk: content fatigue. There’s only so much of content a viewer, an audience segment, can consume—a threshold that AI provides us the capability to surpass all too easily. But just because we can produce more content doesn’t mean we should. The real challenge lies in using AI to create meaningful, resonant stories—not adding to the noise. So, how do we ensure AI enhances storytelling in journalism rather than diluting it? The answer lies in purpose, the why of our journalistic content. AI shouldn’t be a replacement for human creativity; it should be a tool for enhancement. By taking over repetitive tasks, it frees journalists to focus on imagination, nuance, and connection—the things machines cannot quite replicate. This liberation allows us to ask: what stories could we tell if we weren’t bound by traditional formats and constraints? How might we leverage avatars, music, or interactive narratives, or investigative opportunities, or personalisation possibilities to connect with audiences in ways we’ve never tried before? That’s the potential AI offers. Used responsibly, guided by ethics and a sense of purpose, it can be a powerful tool to enhance creativity. Journalism has never been just about delivering information. It’s about forging connections: telling stories that challenge us, inspire us, and remind us of our shared humanity. The question isn’t whether AI can help us tell stories—it most certainly can—but whether we use it to tell the ones that truly matter, in ways that remain unmistakably, defiantly human. (Chindu Sreedharan is the Professor of Journalism and Innovation, and the course director of MA Multimedia Journalism at Bournemouth University, U.K.) Published - December 15, 2024 02:37 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit

The Kansas City Invention Convention is expanding its program to include students throughout Missouri and parts of Kansas. The convention is an annual event presented by the Linda Hall Library , "One of the world’s leading independent science research libraries", located at 5109 Cherry Street in Kansas City, Missouri, near the University of Missouri - Kansas City campus. Registration for the annual convention allows educators access to free Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Entrepreneurship and Innovation otherwise known as "STEM-IE" curriculum and begin preparing students for the competition. "It's become very popular here in the Kansas City Metro Area," said Eric Ward, the vice president of public programs at Linda Hall Library. "It's an adventure and competition for students in grades five through 12." Schools throughout Northwest Missouri, Central Missouri and Eastern Kansas are now able to participate in the competition. When asked if students in other parts of Missouri could join, Ward said they were welcome as well. One education specialist at the Linda Hall Library said curriculum for the convention is a big selling point. "There's curriculum that's very flexible and adaptable to whatever your teaching situation," said Jessica Berlinsky. "So you could use it in a traditional classroom setting to kind of supplement your lessons...We have a lot of homeschool participants. We have some students who do it through an afterschool program. So there's a lot of flexibility." Both Ward and Berlinsky said students who participate could see cash prizes, as the convention offers about $35,000 to winners. Ward also said students don't always have to be interested in STEM to participate in the annual convention. "You can be a musician, you can be an athlete. You can like to garden, like to cook, whatever your hobby interest," said Ward. "All you have to do is think of something that will help you a family member, a pet, even a friend." The 2025 Kansas City Invention Convention competition will be on Apr. 10, and educators must register on the convention website at www.kcinvent.org/educator-registration .Even with access to blockbuster obesity drugs, some people don’t lose weightAkpabio Takes Swipes at Fubara, PDP During Wike's Birthday Celebration

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LAGOS, PORTUGAL — He's all too aware of the risks, but the chance to circle the globe in his little homemade boat has Dan Turk more excited than apprehensive about his next epic voyage. "There's a huge amount of adventure involved. There are so many places to go see and explore, and to learn the cultures of all these different countries. That's a big part of it," the Thunder Bay teacher said this week in an interview from Portugal. "I enjoy sailing, too. So getting to these destinations by boat, and the fact I built this boat, is pretty novel as well." Turk developed a love for sailing on Lake Superior where he honed his talents in weekly races organized by the Thunder Bay Yacht Club. Now he is the only Canadian and one of just two North Americans, accepted for the inaugural 28,000-mile Mini Globe Race that starts in Antigua in February 2025 and finishes on the same Caribbean island in 2026. All 15 entrants will be racing in plywood mini-yachts built to the exact same specifications. Turk has already sailed his 5.8 metre hand-built Little Bea by himself from Halifax to Portugal. That 2023 voyage took only six weeks, a far cry from the upcoming around-the-world expedition that will keep him on the water for over a year. Prior to the main event, he and the others in the Mini Globe Race will embark on a qualifying journey – Transat 2024 – from Portugal to Antigua, a few days after Christmas. "I feel pretty good," Turk told Newswatch. "If I showed you down the dock, there's a couple of people panicking right now because they're just not ready. They're still in construction mode, so I'm feeling good about it, and I'm the only one of the fleet that's leaving here that has crossed the Atlantic (already). So in theory, I have more ocean miles in this boat than anyone in the fleet." Despite that potential advantage, he acknowledged "there are some really good sailors here, so there's some really good competition. Hopefully they just haven't figured out their boat yet. Maybe I have an advantage over them...We'll see what happens." Besides finding out last year how Little Bea handled the ocean, Turk learned a little more about what to take and what not to take on a long voyage. "I had physical books with me. I read five books last summer. But now I have a Kindle, so I don't have to carry all those heavy books. My meal preparation was pretty good, but I think I might just modify a few things, bring some more fresh fruit at the beginning, stuff that's ripe and stuff that will ripen in four or five days. That extends the fresh food I bring on board for maybe up to 10 days as opposed to eating freeze-dried food for the whole duration." Turk is also taking exceptional care to reduce the risk of misadventure while preparing as best he can for worst-case scenarios. "I need to stay on the boat. I need to make sure I'm nourished, I need to keep myself hydrated, and I need to get proper sleep. There's the things I need to do for long-term longevity, I guess." Keeping an eye out for changes in weather conditions will be a constant priority. "I don't really want to have to go through a storm in a boat like this. But the problem is because it's such a small boat, it doesn't go very fast, and I can't avoid anything big that I don't know about early enough. So if there is something like that, I have to deploy my storm tactics and ride it out, close the hatches, and hang on." Little Bea is equipped with multiple satellite-based communication devices to enable Turk to stay in touch with the outside world including his family and his personal race manager. A GoFundMe campaign has been organized to help cover his costs. Contributions may also support Turk's not-for-profit initiative, Sailing into STEM, which provides opportunities for youth to learn science, technology, engineering and math through the platform of sailing.

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HALIFAX, NS / ACCESSWIRE / December 24, 2024 / MedMira Inc. (MedMira) (TSXV:MIR) announced today that it has received today, on December 24, 2024, the approval from Health Canada for its Multiplo® Rapid TP/HIV Test (Multiplo® TP/HIV) to be rolled out across Canada, a critical point-of-care tool to address the health crises with HIV and syphilis in Canada. The single Reveal® TP (Syphilis) approval will follow soon after this more complex approval. The Multiplo® TP/HIV rapid test allows healthcare professional to accurately detect both HIV-1/2 and syphilis antibodieswith one sample using a simple finger prick that delivers results immediately. This easy-to-use and high-quality test can be used in any setting and does not need any special storage conditions. Making it the perfect solution for use in hospitals, doctor's offices and other settings and provides another important option in the Canadian market to help people know their status and get connected to treatment and care. "Our Multiplo® TP/HIV device is the fastest testing solutions for HIV-1/2 and Syphilis and has been used in various settings and markets (such as in Europe, Colombia etc) for years. The Health Canada Medical Device License for professional-use will immediately address critical gaps in healthcare settings at a fraction of the costs of conventional testing systems," said Hermes Chan, CEO of MedMira, a world leader in developing rapid diagnostics and technologies. "Together with REACH Nexus we aim to supply urban and remote communities across Canada, and with it provide access to a critical needed screening tool. This test will have a significant impact on the already stretched and overburdened health care system by providing a fast and cost-efficient screening method." Health Canada's licensure of the device is based on the results of a landmark clinical study in Alberta, co-led by Dr. Sean B. Rourke, director of REACH Nexus and a scientist with the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael's Hospital (Unity Health Toronto) and Dr. Ameeta Singh at the University of Alberta. "We urgently need more rapid testing options approved in Canada to reach the undiagnosed with HIV, syphilis and other blood-borne infections and sexually transmitted infections (STBBIs)," said Dr. Rourke, the director of REACH Nexus at MAP. "We are very excited about this ongoing partnership with MedMira and the critical implementation science work that went into getting this device approved and into the hands of healthcare professionals." Health Canada's approval of the Multiplo® TP/HIV rapid test couldn't come at a more urgent time. The latest data from the Public Health Agency of Canada, shows that new HIV diagnoses soared more than 35% from 2022 to 2023, with rates in Manitoba rising by more than 40%. In Saskatchewan, the rate of HIV was 19.4 per 100,000 people, more than three times the national rate. In 2022, there were 13,953 reported syphilis cases, with rates increasing by 109% compared to 2018, and with congenital syphilis cases seeing a 7% increase from 2021 and a 599% increase from 2018(1). With the rising cases, particularly in underserved and remote communities, the Multiplo® TP/HIV provides an essential testing device to help reach the undiagnosed living with HIV and/or syphilis. "These tests are essential amid the rising number of STBBIs and will have real-life impacts," said Dr. Rourke. "Not everyone has access to the testing they need for STBBIs because of health inequities, stigma and various forms of discrimination. MedMira's rapid test is a crucial tool in Canada - so everyone can have access to the testing they need." As part of Health Canada's review and authorization process, Dr. Rourke's team of researchers sourced funding and conducted the landmark studyworking closely with healthcare providers, provincial health ministry and laboratory agencies, community stakeholders, and people with lived experience. The study, conducted from 2020-2022, included over 1,500 participants from clinical settings in Edmonton and northern Alberta. The study found the Multiplo® TP/HIV test to be 100 per cent accurate in identifying HIV infection, and more than 98 per cent accurate in detecting syphilis. "Having more HIV rapid tests increases our chances of reaching people in Canada who have HIV and don't know it, and a very significant and increasing number of infectious and congenital syphilis cases" said Dr. Rourke. "This rapid, accessible test helps breakdown barriers that some people face so they can get tested so they know their status. It helps move closer to ending the HIV and syphilis epidemics in Canada." (1) About REACH Nexus at MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions REACH Nexus is an ambitious national research group working on how to address HIV, Hepatitis C, and other sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBIs) in Canada. Their focus is on reaching the undiagnosed, implementing and scaling up new testing options, strengthening connections to care, improving access to options for prevention (PrEP and PEP) and ending stigma. We work in collaboration and partnership with people living with HIV; community-based organizations; front-line service providers; healthcare providers and decision makers; public health agencies; researchers; business leaders; industry partners, and federal, provincial and regional policymakers.REACH Nexus is part of at St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, and is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. About MedMira MedMira is a leading developer and manufacturer of Rapid Vertical Flow® diagnostics. The Company's tests provide hospitals, labs, clinics, and individuals with instant disease diagnosis, such as HIV, Syphilis, Hepatitis, and SARS-CoV-2, in just three easy steps. The Company's tests are sold globally under the REVEAL®, REVEALCOVID-19®, Multiplo® and Miriad® brands. Based on its patented Rapid Vertical Flow® Technology, MedMira's rapid HIV test is the only one in the world to achieve regulatory approvals in Canada, the United States, China and the European Union. MedMira's corporate offices and manufacturing facilities are located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. For more information visit . Follow us on and . This news release contains forward‐looking statements, which involve risk and uncertainties and reflect the Company's current expectation regarding future events, including statements regarding possible regulatory approval, product launch, future growth, and new business opportunities. Actual events could materially differ from those projected herein and depend on a number of factors including, but not limited to, changing market conditions, successful and timely completion of clinical studies, uncertainties related to the regulatory approval process, establishment of corporate alliances and other risks detailed from time to time in the company quarterly filings. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. MedMira Contact Markus Meile Chief Financial Officer MedMira Inc. REACH Nexus Contact Andrew Russell Senior Communications Specialist REACH Nexus - MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions SOURCE: MedMira Inc. View the original on

Trump asks Supreme Court to delay TikTok ban so he can weigh in after he takes office

A onetime aide to former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has voluntarily dismissed a federal lawsuit she had filed against him and several of his aides two years ago alleging he sexually harassed her and then smeared her reputation after she became the second woman to publicly accuse him of misconduct. According to statements from Charlotte Bennett and her attorney Debra Katz posted on X on Monday, Bennett will drop the case against Cuomo and top aides Melissa DeRosa, Jill DesRosiers and Judith Mogul, but the suit against the state, her employer at the time, will proceed. “Former Governor Andrew Cuomo can no longer use this lawsuit to harass me and my family. His abusive filings and invasive subpoenas are meant to humiliate and retaliate against me and those who have supported me over the last five years of this living nightmare. Mr. Cuomo’s letter to the Court last week is yet another example of this and I have had enough,” Bennett said in a statement. Debra Katz and Charlotte Bennett issued statements on news that Bennett voluntarily dismissed her lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of the SDNY against Andrew Cuomo, who sexually harassed her. The case in state court against the State of NY, her employer, will proceed. pic.twitter.com/dU63bc4vBP Katz alleged that Cuomo made a number of “invasive discovery requests” in an effort to humiliate her. “Mr. Cuomo has used these legal proceedings to punish Ms. Bennett and others who reported his sexual harassment, and to cause more harm to her, all at the expense of New York taxpayers,” Katz said. “On behalf of Ms. Bennett, and in support of all who have faced sexual harassment by powerful men like former Governor Cuomo, we will continue to seek justice in our action against the State of New York.” Bennett filed the suit against the former governor in federal court in New York City in September 2022, alleging Cuomo subjected her to unwanted advances, including telling her he was “lonely” and on the hunt for a girlfriend and asking her if she would be open to sex with an older man. Cuomo resigned as governor in August 2021 after state Attorney General Letitia James released the results of an investigation that concluded Cuomo had sexually harassed at least 11 women, including Bennett. Bennett played a critical role in Cuomo's eventual downfall. At the time she came forward with her accusations, only one other woman, Lindsey Boylan, had spoken publicly about being harassed by the governor. When Bennett initially told her story to The New York Times , Cuomo appeared to acknowledge that he had hurt her with comments inappropriate for a workplace, but denied that he was making sexual advances. He claimed Bennett had misinterpreted his comments. "Ms. Bennett's decision to drop her baseless lawsuit should be viewed as a complete capitulation and a desperate attempt to avoid being confronted with the mountains of exculpatory discovery-- including contemporaneous texts and videos that the AG’s office never obtained-- that completely refute her claims against Governor Cuomo," Cuomo lawyers Rita Glavin and Theresa Trzaskoma said in a statement Monday. "After falsely smearing Governor Cuomo for years, Ms. Bennett suddenly withdrew her federal lawsuit on the eve of her deposition to avoid having to admit under oath that her allegations were false and her claims had no merit. If New York State does give in to her public pressure campaign and settles, it will not be on the merits and should require the public release of all the evidence so that New Yorkers finally know the truth: Governor Cuomo never sexually harassed anyone." document.write(__reporter_name); - document.write(__reporter_title); document.write(__reporter_bio);Like it or not, the Constitution’s First Amendment gives the media special protection in the American republic. That amendment says, “Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom ... of the press.” With one of the recent presidential candidates unconstitutionally threatening to shut down media outlets or take away their (nonexistent) licenses when they say or do something he doesn’t like, it is not hard to imagine him in office trying to ferret out government whistleblowers by applying legal coercion to force members of the press to cough up their sources. In fact, this candidate, when he was president previously, did precisely that, as did his predecessor from the opposite party to an even greater extent. Forty-nine states and the District of Columbia have laws or state court rulings that shield reporters from such government coercion. Despite the special protection of the media by the Constitution at the national level, no similar federal law exists to provide the same safeguard. Thus, federal Circuit Courts of Appeals rulings have had to give some stopgap protection. Why is a federal shield law for reporters needed? If the government cannot keep its essential information under wraps, then the media should be free to publish it for public inspection. However, the government doesn’t see it that way, and it has plenty of coercive legal power to subpoena reporters of leaked information to divulge their sources so that any government leaker can be prosecuted. And legally, if reporters gather or transmit vaguely defined “national defense information” from leakers or whistleblowers, the journalists can risk being prosecuted criminally through the Espionage Act of 1917; only tradition has circumscribed the prosecution of reporters under the law. Of course, the general lack of protection for reporters’ sources dissuades such federal whistleblowers from talking to reporters about wrongdoing or corruption in government. Even in a republic, the public should be aware that plenty of corruption and skullduggery exist in government. A proposed federal shield law, the PRESS (Protect Reporters from Exploitative State Spying) Act, is going through Congress and passed by the House of Representatives unanimously twice (an unusual feat of consensus in today’s polarized political world). However, the bill has been opposed in the Senate by a small group of members because it would encourage leaks of national security and law enforcement information. Yet, the bill has exceptions to force reporters to divulge sources to prevent any acts of terrorism or imminent violence and does not provide immunity to reporters who commit illegal acts to obtain information (such as hacking, etc.). Also, it is widely acknowledged that much overclassification exists in information classified by the feds for “national security” reasons and that classification can be flagrantly abused to hide information that is embarrassing to the government. Finally, the few senators objecting to the bill claim to be constitutional textualists and originalists. Yet, the First Amendment’s prohibition on abridging the freedom of the press mentions no exception for “national security.” Besides, the government has so much coercive power that it can often find leakers and prosecute them without intimidating reporters to divulge their sources. With any federal shield law, it may seem that reporters have been designated as a special class of citizens, but the First Amendment already realizes that keeping a vibrant republic demands special protections to maintain a free press. (In the internet era, however, any conception of journalists may need to be widened to include new forms of the profession.) And those safeguards for the press may be especially needed if a candidate is elected who parrots Joseph Stalin by deeming the press “an enemy of the people” and regularly threatens media outlets with retribution and coercion.

Newly-engaged Fox News hosts Sean Hannity & Ainsley Earhardt’s long-distance romance after his permanent move to Florida

Edo guber poll, ‘rape of democracy’ — PDP governorsNBA Spread and Total Picks for Today, December 25WASHINGTON — Macy's reported weaker-than-expected preliminary sales for the fiscal third quarter and said it's delaying the release of its quarterly earnings results after it discovered an up to $154 million accounting-related issue. The department store chain, which also operates Bloomingdale's and Bluemercury cosmetics chain in addition to its namesakes stores, was expected to report quarterly results on Tuesday. The retailer said Monday that it identified an issue related to delivery expenses in one of its accrual accounts earlier this month. An independent investigation and forensic analysis found that a single employee with responsibility for small package delivery expense accounting intentionally made erroneous accounting accrual entries to hide roughly $132 million to $154 million of expenses from the fourth quarter of 2021 through the fiscal quarter ended November 2. The company recognized about $4.36 billion of delivery expenses during the same time period. Macy's said that there's no indication that the erroneous accounting accrual entries had any impact on its cash management activities or vendor payments. The company added that the person behind the conduct is no longer an employee and that the investigation didn't identify involvement by any other worker. Macy's said is it delaying reporting its third-quarter earnings results to complete an independent investigation. It anticipates reporting its full third-quarter financial results by Dec. 11. “At Macy’s Inc., we promote a culture of ethical conduct," Chairman and CEO Tony Spring said in a statement. "While we work diligently to complete the investigation as soon as practicable and ensure this matter is handled appropriately, our colleagues across the company are focused on serving our customers and executing our strategy for a successful holiday season.” The company did provide some preliminary results for its third quarter, including that net sales fell 2.4% to $4.74 billion, slightly above the average analyst estimate of $4.72 billion. Macy's Inc.'s comparable sales — sales from established physical and online channels — were down 2.4%, excluding licensed businesses like cosmetics. By division, Macy's comparable sales were down 3%, while Bloomingdale's comparable sales rose 1%. Bluemercury's comparable sales rose 3.3%, Macy's stock was basically unchanged in premarket trading after falling more than 3% earlier in the morning on Monday.

Ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's prime minister has agreed to hand power to the rebel-led Salvation Government, a day after the rebels seized the capital Damascus and Assad fled to Russia. or signup to continue reading The imminent transfer of power follows 13 years of civil war and the end to more than 50 years of brutal rule by the Assad family, leaving Syrians at home and millions of refugees abroad hopeful yet deeply uncertain about their country's future. Damascus stirred to life on Monday, with traffic returning to streets and people venturing out after a nighttime curfew, but most shops remained shut. Fighters from the remote countryside milled about in the capital, clustering in the central Umayyad Square. Assad's Prime Minister, Mohammed Jalali, told Al Arabiya TV he had agreed to hand power to the Salvation Government, an administration based in a small pocket of rebel-held territory in northwest Syria. He said the handover could take days to carry out. The main rebel commander Ahmed al-Sharaa, better known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, had met overnight with Jalali and Vice President Faisal Mekdad to discuss a transitional government, a source familiar with the discussions told Reuters. Al Jazeera television reported the transitional authority would be headed by Mohamed al-Bashir, who ran the Salvation Government before the 12-day lightning offensive that swept into Damascus. A source close to the rebels in Idlib confirmed Bashir had been nominated, though there had been no official announcement. The advance of a militia alliance spearheaded by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former al Qaeda affiliate, was a generational turning point for the Middle East. It ends a war that killed hundreds of thousands of people, caused one of the biggest refugee crises of modern times and left cities bombed to rubble, countryside depopulated and the economy hollowed out by global sanctions. Refugees could finally go home from camps across Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. Assad's fall wipes out one of the main bastions from which Iran and Russia wielded regional power. Turkey, long aligned with Assad's foes, emerges strengthened. The Arab world faces the task of reintegrating one of the Middle East's pivotal states, while containing the militant Sunni Islam that has in the past metastasised into the sectarian violence of Islamic State. HTS is still designated as a terrorist group by the United Nations, but has spent years trying to soften its image to reassure foreign states and minority groups within Syria. The rebels announced on their Telegram channel they were granting amnesty to all conscript soldiers drafted under Assad. Assad's police state was known for generations as one of the harshest in the Middle East, holding hundreds of thousands of political prisoners. On Sunday, elated inmates poured out of jails. One of the final areas to fall was the Mediterranean coast, heartland of Assad's Alawite sect and site of Russia's naval base. The Kremlin said it was too early to know the future of Russia's military bases in Syria, but it would discuss the issue with the new authorities. Israel said Assad's fall was a direct consequence of Israel's punishing assault on Iran's Lebanese allies Hezbollah, who had propped up Assad for years. Since rebels entered Damascus, Israel has struck sites in Syria. Israeli officials said those airstrikes would carry on for days to keep Assad's former arsenal out of hostile hands. The United States, which has 900 soldiers in Syria alongside Kurdish-led forces in the east, said its forces hit around 75 targets in airstrikes on Islamic State on Sunday. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. 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 Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. 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 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. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Advertisement AdvertisementNoneBluesky, the rapidly growing social media platform, is violating EU regulations by failing to disclose important details, a European Commission spokesperson told reporters during a daily briefing on Monday. “All platforms in the EU even the smallest ones which are below the threshold, which is the case for Bluesky, have to have a dedicated page on their website where it says how many user numbers they have in the EU and where they are legally established. This is not the case for Bluesky as of today,” the spokesperson said. Lately: An exodus from X to Bluesky, influencer income and AI safety He also stated that since Bluesky falls below the threshold and is not classified as a Very Large Platform under the EU’s Digital Services Act, the commission has not yet reached out to the company. Instead, it has contacted the 27 national governments to check “if they can find any trace of Bluesky.” Bluesky did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

Article content A German documentary is accusing Prince Harry and his wife Meghan of hypocrisy for using their royal titles to make money. Recommended Videos The documentary Harry: The Lost Prince, which aired in Germany on Tuesday night, quotes British royal reporters and experts about the couple’s charity work and campaigns, which is in stark contrast to their life of luxury in California. “If you have a situation where Harry and Meghan are earning huge amounts of money in Hollywood trading off their reputations, but then they’re also bolstering their reputations by working for the queen — they’re able to present themselves on the world stage as being these working members of the royal family who are also available for a price,” Jack Royston, from the podcast The Royal Report , told Britain’s Daily Mail . “That is a huge compromise to demand of the monarchy. If they were to be perceived to be promoting their commercial projects while representing the queen, then that’s also ... starting to border on corruption there because they should never be using the monarchy as a platform.” The program is said to contrast the couple’s visits to impoverished countries with Meghan’s love of designer fashion. “If you’re going to places like Nigeria, like Colombia, which have huge socio-economic problems, some of the world’s poorest communities in these countries and you’re turning up wearing tens of thousands of pounds worth of designer clothes, it really doesn’t send the right message,” reporter Russel Myers said in the film. Ulrike Grunewald, the German journalist who directed the documentary, said she was “surprised” at the ineffectiveness of the couple’s Archewell Foundation, which is a mix of for-profit and non-profit businesses. “The amount of donations has fallen drastically in one year: From $13 million in 2021 to $2 million in 2022,” she said. “According to their own documents, Harry and Meghan only work one hour a week for the Archewell Foundation.” RECOMMENDED VIDEO The documentary also takes a jab at Harry and Meghan for not socializing with Montecito’s wealthy residents as the southern California town is known as a celebrity enclave with home prices in the millions. “It doesn’t come cheap,” one neighbour, Richard Mineards, said in the film. “I mean ... most houses are about $8 million or $9 million.” But he took issue with the aloof couple not being friendlier. “I personally don’t think that Meghan is an asset to our community ... She doesn’t really go out or get involved with the community” he said. “Harry has to a certain extent because he’s quite jolly ... but Meghan doesn’t seem to get seen anywhere ... And you don’t see him either.”jb88 slot 。

ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice with Vision was launched during Day 6 of OpenAI ’s ‘ 12 Days of OpenAI’ live demonstration and briefing today. This powerful new feature allows users to interact with ChatGPT using spoken input, images and even video, opening up new possibilities for creativity and problem-solving. Currently, Advanced Voice with Vision is available exclusively to ChatGPT Plus and Pro subscribers. This premium feature is designed for those who want to experience the cutting-edge AI technology with a monthly fee. However, as a bonus, the team mentioned that the option to ‘Chat with Santa’ feature will be made available to everyone even if they have gone beyond the chat limit in the free tier. Accessing the Santa feature is simple; look for the snowflake next to the microphone icon. I have ChatGPT Plus, but the Santa feature is not yet available to me. All of the new features for ChatGPT’s Advance Voice with Vision will be slowly rolling out globally, so don’t worry if you can’t access it yet. When it is made available to you, here’s how to access and make the most of this latest ChatGPT feature. Get a ChatGPT Plus subscription To access Advanced Voice with Vision, you must be a ChatGPT Plus subscriber. This subscription costs $20 monthly and unlocks several premium features, including the latest GPT-4.5 model, faster response times, and Advanced Voice with Vision. If you’re not a subscriber, head to the ChatGPT website, log into your account and select the Plus subscription option. Once subscribed, you can use Advanced Voice with Vision immediately. Log In and activate the feature Once you’ve confirmed your subscription, log in to your ChatGPT account on the web or mobile app. Inside the chat interface, look for the following icons: Voice input : This microphone icon allows you to speak to ChatGPT, transforming your voice into text for more natural, hands-free interactions. Image upload: This camera or image icon lets you upload pictures directly into the chat window. You can ask ChatGPT questions or give commands related to the uploaded image. Snowflake : You might as well chat with Santa while you’re at it. The demo today made it look like a lot of fun. If you see the snowflake, go ahead and give it a whirl (said like Kevin McCallister in Home Alone). All icons are typically located near the text input field and can easily be spotted. Start exploring Voice and Vision With the feature enabled, you can now interact with ChatGPT in a whole new way. Now, instead of typing your queries to ChatGPT, try speaking them. Whether you’re asking for help drafting an email or brainstorming ideas for your next project. Voice input makes the interaction feel more conversational and intuitive. The combination of voice and vision makes ChatGPT an even more powerful assistant for day-to-day tasks and creative endeavors. Next, try uploading images and ask ChatGPT questions about them. For example, you could upload a photo of a plant and ask for care tips or show a math problem from a textbook and request a step-by-step solution. The applications are nearly endless. Today's demo showed the team introducing themselves and ChatGPT responding with the correct answers to quizzes about them. You could use the feature as a cooking assistant. Snap a photo of your pantry and ask ChatGPT for recipe suggestions based on your ingredients. You could have ChatGPT review a document. Upload an image of a handwritten note or printed document and have the AI analyze or summarize it. Another way to help with productivity is by providing ChatGPT with verbal and visual inputs for designing a presentation, editing photos, or crafting stories. Why it’s worth trying Advanced Voice with Vision combines two of ChatGPT’s most dynamic features, making it easier than ever to interact with AI. Whether you’re a student, professional, or casual user just curious about exploring new technology, this feature takes multitasking and problem-solving to the next level. If you’re a ChatGPT Plus subscriber, this feature is ready for you to explore today. Log in, activate it, and start experiencing the future of AI-powered assistance. More from Tom's GuideIf Americans, especially Conservatives, may have voted for Donald Trump in order to curb down foreign immigration, that's probably not happening anytime soon, as Vivek Ramaswamy , Trump's comrade-in-arms, has recently triggered a MAGA civil war over his latest tweet, where he has said that the reason US companies recruit foreign engineers instead of Americans is not because of an IQ deficit, but because of the basic 'culture'. ET Year-end Special Reads What kept India's stock market investors on toes in 2024? India's car race: How far EVs went in 2024 Investing in 2025: Six wealth management trends to watch out for The reason top tech companies often hire foreign-born & first-generation engineers over “native” Americans isn’t because of an innate American IQ deficit (a lazy & wrong explanation). A key part of it comes down to the c-word: culture. Tough questions demand tough answers & if... — Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) December 26, 2024 Although there could be multiple explanations of the long Tweet that the upcoming Department of Government Efficiency co-head has posted, Conservatives are already triggered by this foreign-origin individual targeting the 'American culture', even though some of them were rooting for Ramaswamy and Trump during the US Presidential election season.What is Vivek Ramaswamy's controversial post-Christmas tweet all about? However, reports suggest that Ramaswamy has opened up and addressed some his life's core issues in this post, something that he has faced in his tough teenage years. He was born to Indian immigrant parents in Cincinnati's suburban areas, and according to Ramaswamy himself, did not have much money growing up, even though his parents were both in standard avenue of services. In a recent podcast, he has said that his experience with public schools where he studied, had not been great, where being a focused academic and model student was not a rewarding choice, at least not among his peers. All his thoughts may have piled up in the recent post-Christmas tweet that he posted, that the Conservatives are spewing fire over. 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The current President-elect of the United States is Donald Trump, after his win in the US elections 2024. #sr_widget.onDemand p, #stock_pro.onDemand p{font-size: 14px;line-height: 1.28;} .onDemand .live_stock{left:17px;padding:1px 3px 1px 5px;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;line-height:18px;top:9px} #sr_widget.onDemand .sr_desc{margin:0 auto 0;} #sr_widget.onDemand .sr_desc{color: #024d99;margin-top:10px;} #sr_widget.onDemand .crypto .live_stock .lb-icon{8px 6px 5px 3px !important} #sr_widget.crypto.onDemand a.text{border-bottom:1px solid #ccc;padding-bottom:5px;display:block;width:100%} #sr_widget.onDemand .sr_desc .text p, #stock_pro.onDemand .sr_desc .text p{font-size:12px;font-weight:400;} (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)Disclaimer Statement: This content is authored by a 3rd party. The views expressed here are that of the respective authors/ entities and do not represent the views of Economic Times (ET). 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For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service var page = { msid : '116769468', subsec1 : '1715249553', subsec1Name : 'News', compId : '', cfmid : '', cfseopath : '', budgetCommentKeyword: '0', meta_SpecialID: '', agency:'the feed', age: '-.00', currTime : '18.29' } var sharer = {title:"Was this incident responsible for Vivek Ramaswamy's outbursts against American culture that eventually led to MAGA civil war? - The Economic Times",desc:"Vivek Ramaswamy, the biggest Trump loyalist during the US Presidential election campaign, and the co-head of a federal department in the upcoming Republican administration at the White House, has triggered a MAGA civil war on Twitter, where he targeted some key aspects of American culture. 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Here's what's so shocking about it",img:"https://img.etimg.com/thumb/msid-116769507,width-1200,height-630,imgsize-1553716,overlay-economictimes/articleshow.jpg",url:"https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/was-this-incident-responsible-for-vivek-ramaswamys-outbursts-against-american-culture-that-eventually-led-to-maga-civil-war/articleshow/116769468.cms"} var language = ''; var web_as_primead = 1; var comment_appkey = "ET"; loadModule({'module_name': 'js_articleshow_main'}); loadModule({'module_name': 'js_bookmark'}); function OptanonWrapper() { } if(optParam != "1") { try { var _page_config; var monthName = ['Jan','Feb','Mar','Apr','May','Jun','Jul','Aug','Sep','Oct','Nov','Dec']; var IBDate = new Date(); var IBDateFmt = function() { return monthName[IBDate.getMonth()] +' '+IBDate.getDate()+', '+IBDate.getFullYear()+', 12.00 AM IST'; } var ibeatDate = 'Dec 29, 2024, 06:29:00 PM IST'; var _iBeat_cat = 'News', _iBeat_subcat = 'News-International', _iBeat_catids = '2147477890,1715249553,858478126,89994305'; _page_config = { host : 'economictimes.indiatimes.com', key : 'f66e70a45a565c9c76a526c5e9e99df', domain : 'economictimes.indiatimes.com', channel : 'The Feed', action : 1, articleId : 116769468, contentType: 1, location : 1, cat : 'News', subcat : 'News-International', contenttag : 'vivek ramaswamy tweet,vivek ramaswamy,vivek ramaswamy news,department of government efficiency,vivek ramaswamy republican,US companies recruitment,american culture,US Presidential election 2024,US Presidential election season', catIds : '2147477890,1715249553,858478126,89994305', articledt : ibeatDate, author : '', url : window.location.href, iBeatField : 'title=Was this incident responsible for Vivek Ramaswamy\'s outbursts against American culture that eventually led to MAGA civil war?' } var _ib_vct = 0; if(ssoid = getCookie('ssoid')) { try { _ib_vct = 2; var jData = JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem('jStorage')),userData = jData && jData['prime_'+getCookie('TicketId')] || {}, up = userData.permissions || []; if(up.indexOf("subscribed") > -1) { _ib_vct = 1; } if (grx_up.length == 0) { _ib_vct = 0; } } catch (e) {} } else { _ib_vct = 3; } var _ibeat_track = {"visitor_cat" : _ib_vct} _ibeat_track.ct = "1"; } catch (e) {console.error('error', e);} var secname="News International US News"; var agename=''; var _mfq = (_mfq || []), mouseflowPath = '/articleshow_main'; } window.setColuuid && setColuuid(); window.ga && ga('set', {'dimension57': window.__tiluuid, 'dimension30': window._col_uuid}); var urlTtxt='116769468.cms?msid=116769468'function invokeLogin(){try{isLoggedSso = getCookievaluetwitt('MSCSAuth');if(Get_Ckie('autologin')!=null){Delete_Ckie("autologin","/",".indiatimes.com");}tpbar1();setTimeout("twtFbSso()",1000);setTimeout("dolike()",2000);setTimeout(function(){populate_wf_new('/cmtofartfb/'+urlTtxt,'populatecomment','no','putMathQ(1);fillformdetail(1);putCmtCnt();getemid();')},5000);}catch(ex){}ga('send', 'event', 'Temp', 'invokeLogin', window.location.href);} var gtmDimension = {'pageTitle': document.title,...grxDimension,'event' : 'et_push_pageload','user_id': getCookie('ssoid'),'user_grx_id': getCookie('_grx'),'top_50_company': 0 }; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; window.dataLayer.push(gtmDimension); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start': new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src= 'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f); })(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-566NCXC'); Find this comment offensive? 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X To post this comment you must Log In/Connect with: The Economic Times or Fill in your details: Will be displayed Will not be displayed Will be displayed Share this Comment: Post to Twitter { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "NewsArticle", "inLanguage":"en", "keywords" : ["vivek ramaswamy tweet","vivek ramaswamy","vivek ramaswamy news","department of government efficiency","vivek ramaswamy republican","US companies recruitment","american culture","US Presidential election 2024","US Presidential election season"], "headline": "Was this incident responsible for Vivek Ramaswamy's outbursts against American culture that eventually led", "description": "Vivek Ramaswamy, the biggest Trump loyalist during the US Presidential election campaign, and the co-head of a federal department in the upcoming Republican administration at the White House, has triggered a MAGA civil war on Twitter, where he targeted some key aspects of American culture. Here's what's so shocking about it", "datePublished": "2024-12-29T18:29:00+05:30", "dateModified": "2024-12-29T18:29:00+05:30", "url":"https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/was-this-incident-responsible-for-vivek-ramaswamys-outbursts-against-american-culture-that-eventually-led-to-maga-civil-war/articleshow/116769468.cms", "mainEntityOfPage":"https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/was-this-incident-responsible-for-vivek-ramaswamys-outbursts-against-american-culture-that-eventually-led-to-maga-civil-war/articleshow/116769468.cms", "articleSection" : "News", "articleBody":"If Americans, especially Conservatives, may have voted for Donald Trump in order to curb down foreign immigration, that's probably not happening anytime soon, as Vivek Ramaswamy, Trump's comrade-in-arms, has recently triggered a MAGA civil war over his latest tweet, where he has said that the reason US companies recruit foreign engineers instead of Americans is not because of an IQ deficit, but because of the basic 'culture'.Although there could be multiple explanations of the long Tweet that the upcoming Department of Government Efficiency co-head has posted, Conservatives are already triggered by this foreign-origin individual targeting the 'American culture', even though some of them were rooting for Ramaswamy and Trump during the US Presidential election season.What is Vivek Ramaswamy's controversial post-Christmas tweet all about? However, reports suggest that Ramaswamy has opened up and addressed some his life's core issues in this post, something that he has faced in his tough teenage years. He was born to Indian immigrant parents in Cincinnati's suburban areas, and according to Ramaswamy himself, did not have much money growing up, even though his parents were both in standard avenue of services. In a recent podcast, he has said that his experience with public schools where he studied, had not been great, where being a focused academic and model student was not a rewarding choice, at least not among his peers. All his thoughts may have piled up in the recent post-Christmas tweet that he posted, that the Conservatives are spewing fire over. FAQs:Is Vivek Ramaswamy a Republican?Vivek Ramaswamy's political affiliation has been quite clear, with the fact that he is an avid Donald Trump supporter, and has been quite active during the US Presidential campaign.Who is the current President-elect of the United States? The current President-elect of the United States is Donald Trump, after his win in the US elections 2024.", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.etimg.com/thumb/msid-116769507,resizemode-4,width-1200,height-900,imgsize-1553716,overlay-economictimes/articleshow.jpg", "width": 1200, "height": 900 }, "author": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "The Feed" }, "publisher": { "@type": "NewsMediaOrganization", "name": "Economic Times", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.etimg.com/thumb/msid-76939477,width-600,height-60,quality-100/economictimes.jpg", "width": 600, "height": 60 } } } { "@context": "https://schema.org/", "@type" : "WebPage", "name" : "Was this incident responsible for Vivek Ramaswamy's outbursts against American culture that eventually led", "speakable" : { "@type": "SpeakableSpecification", "cssSelector" : [".article_wrap h1", ".artSyn h2"] }, "url": "https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/was-this-incident-responsible-for-vivek-ramaswamys-outbursts-against-american-culture-that-eventually-led-to-maga-civil-war/articleshow/116769468.cms" } {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Is Vivek Ramaswamy a Republican?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Vivek Ramaswamy's political affiliation has been quite clear, with the fact that he is an avid Donald Trump supporter, and has been quite active during the US Presidential campaign."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Who is the current President-elect of the United States?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"The current President-elect of the United States is Donald Trump, after his win in the US elections 2024."}}]} //set iframe height on load (function(){ $('#toispecials-iframe').height($(window).height()); })(); /* function scrollIframeToTop() { setTimeout(function() { $('body, html').animate({ scrollTop: $menuEl.offset().top }, 800); }, 500); } scrollIframeToTop(); */ var countryCode = window.geoinfo && geoinfo.CountryCode; if (countryCode === "IN"){ $('.inSideInd').addClass("show"); $('.outsideInd').remove(); } else{ $('.outsideInd').addClass("show"); $('.inSideInd').remove(); } window.onload = function() { // setFont(); }; Stories you might be interested in Subscribe to our ET Investment Opportunities SUBMIT if(window.location.href.indexOf('.com/articleshow/') != -1){ grxEvent('event', {'event_category': 'articleshow', 'event_action': 'url_issue referrer: ' + document.referrer, 'event_label': window.location.href}); }Arkansas WR Andrew Armstrong declares for NFL draft, skipping bowlLove Dividend Growth? 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Dec 2 (Reuters) - Pershing Square Holdings (PSH.AS) , opens new tab said on Monday it plans to delist its shares from Euronext Amsterdam, after billionaire Bill Ackman urged its board last month. The investment holding company, in which Ackman and his family own a 23% stake, said its shares will continue to be traded in dollars and pounds on the main market of the London Stock Exchange. Delisting from Euronext Amsterdam and consolidating trading on the London Stock Exchange would reduce regulatory complexity and improve liquidity, Pershing Square Chairman Rupert Morley said in a statement. A formal application for delisting will be submitted to Euronext, the company said. The move comes after Ackman last month announced his intention to delist the company from Amsterdam following attacks on Israeli soccer fans . Sign up here. Reporting by Disha Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Shreya Biswas Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab

Brianna LaPaglia revealed intimate details about her public breakup with Zach Bryan on Alix Earle‘s “Hot Mess” podcast Thursday. The internet personality also known as Brianna Chickenfry opened up about her split with the country star, clarifying why they called it quits. “He got caught on Raya, so he had to post an Instagram Story,” she explained to with Alix Earle on “Hot Mess” podcast referencing the social media announcement Bryan posted about their breakup in October. LaPaglia went on to explain the “whole situation” from the night before the pair called it quits. “It was crazy, it was horrible. We came to the conclusion that we’re going to stay together, we’re going to figure it out. He goes back to Oklahoma.” LaPaglia continued, “I didn’t know he was cheating on me the whole time. I kind of brushed over that because the cheating was the most normal part for me.” When asked how she discovered Bryan’s infidelity, she admits the Raya profile brought it to her attention. “I was like, ‘OK, this is crazy.’ Then I had all these girls DMing me. Then I have receipts and receipts of people telling me.” She added: “If I knew he was cheating on me, it would’ve been easier for me to leave.” The 25-year-old previously shared she was was “completely blindsided” by the singer’s decision to post about the split, and has also accused Bryan of emotional abuse during their relationship. This isn’t the first time she’s spoken out about the breakup, opening up for the first time on the Nov. 7 episode of “BFFs” podcast. “The last year of my life has been the hardest year of my life dealing with the abuse from this dude.” In the “Hot Mess” interview, LaPaglia explained how she felt “isolated” in the relationship. “He completely isolated me from my life. I lived on a tour bus. I couldn’t do the things I wanted to do.” “I couldn’t do anything. I stopped doing my career. He wanted me to quit Barstool, I couldn’t talk to my family about it because I wasn’t home. So I was just in this bubble... like it was a revolving door of thoughts.” ©2024 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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The Cavaliers are sitting pretty atop the NBA standings, yet somehow, Donovan Mitchell can’t seem to escape the noise. Scroll through social media, and you’ll see words like “struggling” or “slumping” tossed around about Mitchell. Really? The Cavs have the league’s best record (21-4), but some fans still want more. Here’s the big question: Does Mitchell need to drop 40 every night for people to believe he’s playing elite basketball? Let’s look at the facts, as relayed by Corey Walsh of Fear The Sword , on which this article is based. Mitchell’s counting stats are down — sure. But that’s not the whole story. Minutes Watch: Mitchell is averaging 31.9 minutes per game, his lowest mark ever. Less time on the floor equals fewer opportunities to rack up gaudy numbers. Team Ball: This season’s Cavs are a well-oiled machine. They’re not reliant on Mitchell carrying the load nightly. Need proof? Last year, the Cavs were 11-11 when Mitchell scored fewer than 25 points. This season? 11-2 in the same scenario. That’s balance, folks. Efficiency Machine: Mitchell is tied for the highest assisted rate of his career at 38%. Translation: He’s thriving off the team’s ball movement and doesn’t have to force the issue. This is a Cavs team with the most efficient offense in the league, humming along whether or not Mitchell dons his Superman cape. And when they have needed him? He’s delivered. The bottom line: Mitchell is in the middle of another All-NBA season, leading a juggernaut in the East. Nitpicking his box score feels like grasping at straws. So, to the Cavs faithful: Maybe take a moment to appreciate Mitchell’s evolution as a player and what it’s doing for the team, as Walsh wrote . After all, winning at this level doesn’t happen by accident. This article first appeared on Hoops Wire and was syndicated with permission.NEW YORK (AP) — Chad Chronister, Donald Trump's pick to run the Drug Enforcement Administration, said Tuesday he was withdrawing his name from consideration, becoming the second person selected by the president-elect to bow out quickly after being nominated for a position requiring Senate confirmation. Sheriff Chronister, the top law enforcement officer in Hillsborough County, Florida, said in a post on X that he was backing away from the opportunity, which he called “the honor of a lifetime.” “Over the past several days, as the gravity of this very important responsibility set in, I’ve concluded that I must respectfully withdraw from consideration,” Chronister wrote. He did not elaborate, and Trump's transition team did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. Chronister follows former Republican congressman Matt Gaetz , Trump’s first pick to serve as attorney general, in withdrawing his name for a post in the administration. Gaetz withdrew following scrutiny over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation’s chief federal law enforcement officer. Trump's pick of Chronister for the DEA job drew backlash from conservatives, who raised concerns over his actions during the COVID-19 pandemic and his saying that his office “does not engage in federal immigration enforcement activities.” In March 2020, Chronister arrested the pastor of a megachurch who held services with hundreds of people and violated a safer-at-home order in place aimed at limiting the spread of the Covid virus. “Shame on this pastor, their legal staff and the leaders of this staff for forcing us to do our job. That’s not what we wanted to do during a declared state of emergency,” Chronister said at the time. “We are hopeful that this will be a wakeup call.” U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky, was among those airing public complaints, saying Chronister should be “disqualified” for the arrest. Others flagged comments Chronister made in a video about Florida’s immigration laws that he released in 2023 that circulated again online after Trump named him last weekend. In the video, Chronister praised the “rich diversity” of his community and called it “a place where people from all walks of life come together.” He said it was important to note his office “does not engage in federal immigration enforcement activities. We do not target individuals based on their immigration status. That’s the authority of federal agencies.” Trump has made a sweeping crackdown on immigration a central focus of his campaign and his aims for his coming administration. ___ Associated Press writer Adriana Gomez Licon in Fort Lauderdale, Florida contributed to this report. Michelle L. Price, The Associated Press

Julia Wick | (TNS) Los Angeles Times As California politicos look ahead to 2025, the biggest question looming is whether Vice President Kamala Harris — a native daughter, battered just weeks ago by presidential election defeat — will enter the 2026 California governor’s race. Related Articles National Politics | Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people National Politics | Trump taps immigration hard-liner Kari Lake as head of Voice of America National Politics | Trump invites China’s Xi to his inauguration even as he threatens massive tariffs on Beijing National Politics | Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump National Politics | What Americans think about Hegseth, Gabbard and key Trump Cabinet picks AP-NORC poll Harris has yet to give any public indication on her thoughts and those close to her suggest the governorship is not immediately top of mind. But if Harris does ultimately run — and that’s a massive if — her entrée would seismically reshape the already crowded race for California’s highest office. Recent polling suggests Harris would have a major advantage, with 46% of likely voters saying they were somewhat or very likely to support her for governor in 2026, according to a UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies survey co-sponsored by The Times. “If Vice President Harris were to choose to run, I am certain that that would have a near field-clearing effect on the Democratic side,” Rep. Katie Porter, D-Irvine, said during a recent UC Irvine panel interview . Porter, a high-profile Democrat who has been eyeing the wide-open governor’s race, has yet to say whether she plans to run. Porter’s point was broadly echoed in conversations with nearly a dozen California political operatives and strategists, several of whom requested anonymity to speak candidly. Most speculated that a Harris entry would cause some other candidates in the race to scatter, creating further upheaval in down-ballot races as a roster of ambitious politicians scramble for other opportunities. “In politics, you always let the big dogs eat first,” quipped Democratic political consultant Peter Ragone. The current gubernatorial field is a who’s who of California politicians, but lacks a clear favorite or star with widespread name recognition. The vast majority of California’s 22 million voters have yet to pay attention to the race and have little familiarity with the candidates. The list of Democratic candidates includes Los Angeles’ first Latino mayor in more than a century ( Antonio Villaraigosa ); the first female and first out LGBTQ leader of the state Senate ( Toni Atkins ); the sitting lieutenant governor and first woman to hold that post ( Eleni Kounalakis ); the state superintendent of public instruction ( Tony Thurmond ) and the former state controller ( Betty Yee ). Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is serving his second term as California governor, meaning he is ineligible to run again. Several other Democrats, including Porter, outgoing Health and Human Services Director Xavier Becerra and state Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta have also publicly toyed with the idea of a run. They could be less likely to enter the fray should Harris decide to run. What the billionaire mall mogul Rick Caruso — who has also been exploring a run — would choose to do is an open question, as Caruso might contrast himself with Harris as a more centrist candidate. The real estate developer was a registered Republican until November 2019. It’s unlikely that Harris will proffer a public decision in the immediate term, leaving plenty of time for political insiders to game out hypotheticals in the weeks and months to come. Harris’ office did not respond to a request for comment. “I think every candidate for governor is trying to get some kind of intel,” Mike Trujillo, a Los Angeles-based Democratic political consultant and former Villaraigosa staffer, said of a potential Harris run. Trujillo speculated that Harris’ current state was probably similar to Hillary Clinton’s hiking sojourns in the Chappaqua woods after losing to Donald Trump in 2016, or Al Gore growing a beard in the bruising aftermath of his 2000 defeat. “The first thing she’s probably thinking about is, ‘Well, can I run again for president in four years?’ Not, ‘Do I run for governor in two years?’” said one political operative who’s worked with Harris in the past. Harris maintains a home in Brentwood and previously served as California’s senator and attorney general. A successful run for governor in 2026 would almost certainly impede a grab for the presidency in 2028. (Though if history is any guide, an unsuccessful run for California governor does not definitively preclude a bid for the Oval Office: Two years after losing the White House to John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon lost the 1962 contest for governor to Pat Brown . The Yorba Linda native became the nation’s 37th president in 1969.) As the chief executive of a state that doubles as the world’s fifth-largest economy, Harris would have more power to steer policy and make changes as a California governor than she did as vice president, where her job required deference to President Biden. But leading a state, even the nation’s most populous, could feel like small potatoes after being a heartbeat (and a few dozen electoral votes) from the presidency. The protracted slog to November 2026 would also be a stark contrast to her ill-fated 107-day sprint toward the White House, particularly for a candidate whose 2020 presidential primary campaign was dogged by allegations of infighting and mismanagement. “I don’t think Kamala Harris has a deep psychological need to be governor of California, or to be in elective office in order to feel like she can contribute to society,” said the operative who’s worked with Harris in the past. “I think some of these people do, but she’s somebody who has enough prominence that she could do a lot of big, wonderful things without having to worry about balancing California’s budget or negotiating with Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel,” the Encino Democrat who chairs the Assembly’s budget committee. Technically, Harris has until March 2026 to decide whether she enters a race. But political strategists who spoke to The Times theorized that she probably would make a move by late spring, if she chooses to do so. “People will be more annoyed if she drops in in June,” a Democratic strategist involved with one of the gubernatorial campaigns said. Sending a clear signal by February would be more “courteous,” the strategist continued, explaining that such a move would give candidates more time to potentially enter other races. Kounalakis is a longtime friend and ally of Harris’ , and the vice president also has long-term relationships with some of the other candidates and potential candidates. California has eight statewide elected offices and campaign finance laws allow candidates to fundraise interchangeably for them, meaning money already raised for a candidate’s gubernatorial campaign could easily be redirected should they decide to run for, say, lieutenant governor instead. There are already a number of candidates running for lieutenant governor, including former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, former state Sen. Steven Bradford and former state Treasurer Fiona Ma. But that office probably would see even more interest should Harris enter the gubernatorial race. It’s a largely ceremonial position, but one that has served as a launching pad for the governorship. Still, even if Harris does enter the race, Republican political strategist Mike Murphy threw cold water on the idea that she would have an automatic glide path to the governor’s office. “It’s like Hollywood. Nobody knows anything. She’s famous enough to look credible in early polling. That’s all we know for sure,” Murphy said. “Does that predict the future? No. Are there a lot of downsides (to a potential Harris candidacy)? Totally, yes.” ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. 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Topline President-elect Donald Trump’s popularity has reached a seven-year high and the majority of Americans approve of his handling of the transition process — even though he's still less popular than former Presidents Joe Biden, Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton were at this point in their transitions. Key Facts Contra Confidence in Trump to appoint the best people to his administration has declined to 26% compared to 32% in 2016, with fewer Republicans (56% versus 72%) and independents (18% versus 26%) expressing deep confidence in Trump to appoint the best people. Big Number 68%. That’s the share of Americans who disapprove of Biden’s decision to pardon his son, Hunter Biden, on federal tax and gun charges earlier this month. Biden made the surprise decision after repeatedly saying he had no plans to pardon his son. Key Background The poll is consistent with a November CBS/YouGov survey that also found the majority of respondents (59%) approve of Trump’s handling of the transition process. Trump has announced new appointments to his administration nearly every day since Nov. 7, starting with his campaign manager Susie Wiles as chief of staff. Several controversial appointees face uncertain futures in the Senate confirmation process, particularly Trump’s choice for Defense secretary, former Fox News host Pete Hegseth , who has faced allegations of concerning drinking habits and was accused of sexual assault in 2017 (which he has denied). Trump’s initial pick for attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz , R-Fla., bowed out of the process amid a sexual misconduct scandal as it became clear he may not have the votes to pass Senate muster. Trump nominated former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to replace Gaetz. Further Reading Most Americans Approve Of Trump Transition—As Controversial RFK Jr. Gets High Marks, Poll Finds (Forbes) Trump’s Cabinet And Key Jobs: Kimberly Guilfoyle, Jacob Helberg And Andrew Ferguson Are Latest Picks (Forbes) Hegseth Cabinet Nomination: Hegseth Lauds Women In Military—After Previously Saying They Shouldn’t Serve In Combat (Forbes)KUWAIT: Teams from the Kuwaiti Ministry of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy and the World Bank came together in Kuwait to look into the fresh reforms of the latter’s 2024 program - aiming at improving Kuwait’s ranking in the business environment improvement program. During the meeting, held on Wednesday, the teams reviewed all electronic systems based on cutting-edge technology for the management, operation, and maintenance of the ministry’s assets, mainly geographical information systems (GIS), unified communication systems, and outage management, the ministry said in a press release. The team had elaborated that such systems primarily ensure the provision of power and water services to investors with high reliability, along with, inter alia, the Ministry’s future renewable energy projects. The Ministry’s sophisticated e-service system that serves all segments of customs involving investors was also considered. Both sides’ teams would also meet again in the near future in order to weigh the implementation of the ministry’s new reforms. — KUNA

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labet88 download TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republicans made claims about illegal voting by noncitizens a centerpiece of their 2024 campaign messaging and plan to push legislation in the new Congress requiring voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship. Yet there's one place with a GOP supermajority where linking voting to citizenship appears to be a nonstarter: Kansas. That's because the state has been there, done that, and all but a few Republicans would prefer not to go there again. Kansas imposed a proof-of-citizenship requirement over a decade ago that grew into one of the biggest political fiascos in the state in recent memory. The law, passed by the state Legislature in 2011 and implemented two years later, ended up blocking the voter registrations of more than 31,000 U.S. citizens who were otherwise eligible to vote. That was 12% of everyone seeking to register in Kansas for the first time. Federal courts ultimately declared the law an unconstitutional burden on voting rights, and it hasn't been enforced since 2018. Kansas provides a cautionary tale about how pursuing an election concern that in fact is extremely rare risks disenfranchising a far greater number of people who are legally entitled to vote. The state’s top elections official, Secretary of State Scott Schwab, championed the idea as a legislator and now says states and the federal government shouldn't touch it. “Kansas did that 10 years ago,” said Schwab, a Republican. “It didn’t work out so well.” Steven Fish, a 45-year-old warehouse worker in eastern Kansas, said he understands the motivation behind the law. In his thinking, the state was like a store owner who fears getting robbed and installs locks. But in 2014, after the birth of his now 11-year-old son inspired him to be “a little more responsible” and follow politics, he didn’t have an acceptable copy of his birth certificate to get registered to vote in Kansas. “The locks didn’t work,” said Fish, one of nine Kansas residents who sued the state over the law. “You caught a bunch of people who didn’t do anything wrong.” A small problem, but wide support for a fix Kansas' experience appeared to receive little if any attention outside the state as Republicans elsewhere pursued proof-of-citizenship requirements this year. Arizona enacted a requirement this year, applying it to voting for state and local elections but not for Congress or president. The Republican-led U.S. House passed a proof-of-citizenship requirement in the summer and plans to bring back similar legislation after the GOP won control of the Senate in November. In Ohio, the Republican secretary of state revised the form that poll workers use for voter eligibility challenges to require those not born in the U.S. to show naturalization papers to cast a regular ballot. A federal judge declined to block the practice days before the election. Also, sizable majorities of voters in Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina and the presidential swing states of North Carolina and Wisconsin were inspired to amend their state constitutions' provisions on voting even though the changes were only symbolic. Provisions that previously declared that all U.S. citizens could vote now say that only U.S. citizens can vote — a meaningless distinction with no practical effect on who is eligible. To be clear, voters already must attest to being U.S. citizens when they register to vote and noncitizens can face fines, prison and deportation if they lie and are caught. “There is nothing unconstitutional about ensuring that only American citizens can vote in American elections,” U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, of Texas, the leading sponsor of the congressional proposal, said in an email statement to The Associated Press. Why the courts rejected the Kansas citizenship rule After Kansas residents challenged their state's law, both a federal judge and federal appeals court concluded that it violated a law limiting states to collecting only the minimum information needed to determine whether someone is eligible to vote. That's an issue Congress could resolve. The courts ruled that with “scant” evidence of an actual problem, Kansas couldn't justify a law that kept hundreds of eligible citizens from registering for every noncitizen who was improperly registered. A federal judge concluded that the state’s evidence showed that only 39 noncitizens had registered to vote from 1999 through 2012 — an average of just three a year. In 2013, then-Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, a Republican who had built a national reputation advocating tough immigration laws, described the possibility of voting by immigrants living in the U.S. illegally as a serious threat. He was elected attorney general in 2022 and still strongly backs the idea, arguing that federal court rulings in the Kansas case “almost certainly got it wrong.” Kobach also said a key issue in the legal challenge — people being unable to fix problems with their registrations within a 90-day window — has probably been solved. “The technological challenge of how quickly can you verify someone’s citizenship is getting easier,” Kobach said. “As time goes on, it will get even easier.” Would the Kansas law stand today? The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the Kansas case in 2020. But in August, it split 5-4 in allowing Arizona to continue enforcing its law for voting in state and local elections while a legal challenge goes forward. Seeing the possibility of a different Supreme Court decision in the future, U.S. Rep.-elect Derek Schmidt says states and Congress should pursue proof-of-citizenship requirements. Schmidt was the Kansas attorney general when his state's law was challenged. "If the same matter arose now and was litigated, the facts would be different," he said in an interview. But voting rights advocates dismiss the idea that a legal challenge would turn out differently. Mark Johnson, one of the attorneys who fought the Kansas law, said opponents now have a template for a successful court fight. “We know the people we can call," Johnson said. “We know that we’ve got the expert witnesses. We know how to try things like this.” He predicted "a flurry — a landslide — of litigation against this.” Born in Illinois but unable to register in Kansas Initially, the Kansas requirement's impacts seemed to fall most heavily on politically unaffiliated and young voters. As of fall 2013, 57% of the voters blocked from registering were unaffiliated and 40% were under 30. But Fish was in his mid-30s, and six of the nine residents who sued over the Kansas law were 35 or older. Three even produced citizenship documents and still didn’t get registered, according to court documents. “There wasn’t a single one of us that was actually an illegal or had misinterpreted or misrepresented any information or had done anything wrong,” Fish said. He was supposed to produce his birth certificate when he sought to register in 2014 while renewing his Kansas driver's license at an office in a strip mall in Lawrence. A clerk wouldn't accept the copy Fish had of his birth certificate. He still doesn't know where to find the original, having been born on an Air Force base in Illinois that closed in the 1990s. Several of the people joining Fish in the lawsuit were veterans, all born in the U.S., and Fish said he was stunned that they could be prevented from registering. Liz Azore, a senior adviser to the nonpartisan Voting Rights Lab, said millions of Americans haven't traveled outside the U.S. and don't have passports that might act as proof of citizenship, or don't have ready access to their birth certificates. She and other voting rights advocates are skeptical that there are administrative fixes that will make a proof-of-citizenship law run more smoothly today than it did in Kansas a decade ago. “It’s going to cover a lot of people from all walks of life,” Avore said. “It’s going to be disenfranchising large swaths of the country.” ___ Associated Press writer Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report. John Hanna, The Associated PressMutual of America Capital Management LLC decreased its stake in shares of Littelfuse, Inc. ( NASDAQ:LFUS – Free Report ) by 5.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 13,399 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 793 shares during the period. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC owned about 0.05% of Littelfuse worth $3,554,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of LFUS. Huntington National Bank lifted its holdings in Littelfuse by 200.0% during the 3rd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 96 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC raised its position in shares of Littelfuse by 410.7% during the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 143 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its stake in Littelfuse by 70.2% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 143 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in Littelfuse by 275.0% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 165 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 121 shares during the period. Finally, EntryPoint Capital LLC bought a new stake in Littelfuse during the first quarter valued at $50,000. 96.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Littelfuse Stock Up 2.2 % LFUS opened at $243.82 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 3.55 and a quick ratio of 2.52. Littelfuse, Inc. has a 12 month low of $222.91 and a 12 month high of $275.58. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $254.71 and its 200 day moving average price is $256.33. The stock has a market cap of $6.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.70, a P/E/G ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 1.28. Littelfuse Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 5th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.70 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 21st. This represents a $2.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.15%. Littelfuse’s dividend payout ratio is presently 35.99%. Insider Activity at Littelfuse In other news, SVP Matthew Cole sold 1,436 shares of Littelfuse stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $246.02, for a total transaction of $353,284.72. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 5,522 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,358,522.44. This trade represents a 20.64 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link . Also, CEO David W. Heinzmann sold 2,091 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.65, for a total value of $574,293.15. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 59,654 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,383,971.10. This trade represents a 3.39 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Company insiders own 2.30% of the company’s stock. Analyst Ratings Changes LFUS has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Oppenheimer upgraded shares of Littelfuse from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $310.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. StockNews.com upgraded Littelfuse from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 18th. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on Littelfuse from $300.00 to $315.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, August 29th. Stifel Nicolaus raised Littelfuse from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $270.00 to $280.00 in a report on Tuesday, August 13th. Finally, TD Cowen upped their price objective on Littelfuse from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Littelfuse has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $285.00. Read Our Latest Analysis on Littelfuse Littelfuse Company Profile ( Free Report ) Littelfuse, Inc designs, manufactures, and sells electronic components, modules, and subassemblies in the Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe. The company operates through Electronic, Transportation, and Industrial segments. The Electronics segment offers fuses and fuse accessories, positive temperature coefficient resettable fuses, electromechanical switches and interconnect solutions, polymer electrostatic discharge suppressors, varistors, reed switch based magnetic sensing products, and gas discharge tubes; and discrete transient voltage suppressor (TVS) diodes, TVS diode arrays, protection and switching thyristors, metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors and diodes, and insulated gate bipolar transistors. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LFUS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Littelfuse, Inc. ( NASDAQ:LFUS – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Littelfuse Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Littelfuse and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

Shiba Inu Sentiment Takes a Hit as Big Investors Heavily Accumulate New SHIB Alternative with 14020% ROI Potential.Kosovo’s Central Election Commission (CEC) has decided not to certify the main ethnic Serbian party, effectively barring it from competing in the February 9 parliamentary elections. The CEC said its main reason for declining to certify Serbian List was its nationalist stance and close ties to Serbia. Some commission members noted that Serbian List leader Zlatan Elek has never referred to Kosovo as independent and continues to call it Serbia's autonomous province of Kosovo. The CEC also said that Serbian List has close ties with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and other Serb leaders who also refuse to recognize Kosovo's independence. There was no immediate reaction from Serbian List. The move may further aggravate the already tense ties between Kosovo and Serbia despite international efforts to normalize them. The parliamentary elections on February 9, 2025, are expected to be a key test for Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti, whose party came to power in 2021 in a landslide. Vucic claimed on December 23 that Kurti is trying to "eliminate the only opponent" in the elections. He also accused Kurti and his allies of attempting to expel the Serbian people from the southern areas of Kosovo. Vucic said that he had also spoken with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov about what he considered to be violations of international law by Pristina. Only the chairman of the CEC, Kreshnik Radoniqi, voted for the certification of Serbian List. Two members of the ruling Self-Determination party voted against, while the others abstained. Political analyst Albert Krasniqi of the Demokraci+ NGO told RFE/RL that the decision is part of the preelection campaign being conducted by Kurti’s Self-Determination party. He said Serbian List will appeal the decision to the Electoral Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP) and predicted that it will reverse the decision. “All this noise will last at most four days, and I am sure that the ECAP will reverse this decision of the CEC and will oblige the CEC to certify Serbian List,” Krasniqi said. Eugen Cakolli of the Democratic Institute of Kosovo told RFE/RL that the CEC has once again become “part of [the] political rhetoric, making a decision in violation of the law and other regulations in force.” He also said Serbian List will appeal and the ECAP will overturn the decision. Kosovo proclaimed independence from Serbia in 2008. Belgrade still considers Kosovo a province of Serbia and has a major influence on the ethnic Serbian minority living there. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico of wanting to "help" President Vladimir Putin earn money to fund Russia’s war in Ukraine after Fico paid a visit to Putin in Moscow. Zelenskiy said on X on December 23 that EU leaders had previously observed that Fico opposes reducing energy dependence on Russia, "implying that he wants to help Putin earn money to fund the war and weaken Europe." Ukraine is “losing people as a result of the war that Putin started, and we believe that such assistance to Putin is immoral,” Zelenskiy said . Fico said his trip to Moscow and meeting with Putin on December 22 was in response to Zelenskiy opposing any "transit of gas through Ukraine to our territory." Ukraine has said it will not renew a contract for gas transit through pipelines in Ukraine that expires on December 31. Slovakia has raised concerns about the prospect of losing supplies of natural gas as a result. The flow of gas through the pipeline accounts for around half of Russia's total exports to Europe, and Slovakia, Italy, Austria, and the Czech Republic are set to be most affected if it ends. The European Commission has said it is ready for the current contract to expire, and all countries receiving Russian fuel via the Ukraine route have access to alternative supplies. Fico is one of the few European leaders Putin has stayed friendly with since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, but Zelenskiy questioned his motivation. "Why is this leader so dependent on Moscow? What is being paid to him, and what does he pay with?" Zelenskiy asked rhetorically. The visit by Fico, whose country is a NATO and European Union member, had not been previously announced, but Fico said he had informed EU leaders about it ahead of time. Fico said on Facebook after his meeting with Putin that the Russian president had confirmed Russia's “readiness to continue supplying gas to the West and to Slovakia in view of the Ukrainian president's stance after January 1, 2025." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on December 23 said he could not give more details about the talks between Putin and Fico but said the situation regarding the flow of gas is “very difficult” and “requires increased attention." Fico’s visit with Putin drew strong reactions from other European leaders. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky denounced it, saying on X that the Czech government “has been working to achieve independence from Russian energy supplies so that we don't have to grovel to a mass murderer." Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda reacted sarcastically, saying that any dealings with Russia involve a price. “How cheap is your love,” he said on X . “There are those who come to Russia with love and feel gassed to meet a war criminal. This is not Lithuania's way. We choose energy independence and real market prices -- with no political strings attached! Uzbek authorities are keeping a close eye on the family of the suspect in the high-profile assassination of a Russian general in Moscow last week, neighbors and activists say. Uzbek national Ahmadjon Qurbonov, 29, has been charged by a Moscow court with terrorism and other offenses in the December 17 killing of Igor Kirillov, who headed Russia's Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Defense Forces. Qurbonov, who grew up in the Uchteppa district of the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, has been accused of remotely detonating a homemade bomb hidden on a scooter parked outside a residential building. The blast killed Kirillov and his assistant. Qurbonov's neighbors in Tashkent told RFE/RL that his family are refraining from speaking to media and are being monitored by Uzbek authorities since the news of Qurbonov’s arrest broke. Uzbek law-enforcement agencies have since been in regular contact with the family, according to Abdurahmon Tashanov, head of the Ezgulik human rights group in Uzbekistan. Tashanov told RFE/RL that he had spoken with the family and quoted them as saying the relatives first found about Qurbonov's alleged involvement in the attack from the anti-terrorism unit of the Uchteppa police department. They learned other details from media reports, Tashanov added. Uzbek authorities did not respond to RFE/RL's request for comment. Speaking on condition of anonymity, one of the neighbors said Qurbonov's mother had last spoken with her son two days before the attack, when he called from Russia and had assured her he was healthy and had found good work as a cook. According to the neighbors, Qurbonov left Tashkent in 2021, saying he was going to Turkey as a migrant worker. They claimed the family didn't know when Qurbonov moved from Turkey to Russia. Both Russia and Turkey host thousands of migrant workers from Uzbekistan. The residents in Uchteppa's Pakhtakor neighborhood described the Qurbonovs as a regular, middle-class family with a comfortable life. Qurbonov’s late father, Alijon, made a living as a cook, and one of his siblings works at a bakery, they said. Tashanov raised concern about a video released by Russian authorities that purportedly shows Qurbonov "confessing" to having committed the deadly attack on Kirillov. It is not known whether the "confession" was obtained under duress. Tashanov said releasing such footage violates the presumption of innocence in Qurbonov's case. During a hearing at Moscow's Basman district court on December 19, Qurbonov requested a translator due to his limited knowledge of the Russian language. Russian investigators claimed Qurbonov was recruited and trained by Ukrainian intelligence services to carry out the attack. There has been no official claim of responsibility, but Ukraine's security service SBU has said it was behind the killing. Kyiv had accused Kirillov of being responsible for Russia's use of banned chemical weapons against Ukrainian troops, a claim Moscow denies. The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Uzbek counterpart, Shavkat Mirziyoev, discussed cooperation in the fight against terrorism in a phone call on December 19. Belarus's Central Election Commission (CEC) said five candidates, including Alyaksandr Lukashenka, have been registered for a presidential election next month, the first since balloting in 2020 triggered mass unrest amid claims of victory by the 70-year-old authoritarian ruler, who has since wiped out almost all traces of opposition and dissent in the country. Lukashenka, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is expected to easily cruise to a seventh consecutive term in office as the other four candidates announced by CEC on December 23 are seen as being pro-government. "Lukashenka has announced the date of his 'reelection' -- January 26. It’s a sham with no real electoral process, conducted in an atmosphere of terror," exiled opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who ran against Lukashenka in the August 2020 election after her husband, Syarhey Tsikhanouski, was arrested and jailed during the campaign, said on X when the January vote was first announced. "No alternative candidates or observers will be allowed. We call on Belarusians and the international community to reject this farce," she added. Along with Lukashenka, the CEC said Oleh Gaidukevich, Serhey Syrankov, Anna Konapatskaya, and Alyaksandr Khizhnyak were approved to run in the vote. Massive street protests followed the disputed 2020 presidential election that extended Lukashenka's long-standing rule for another term. The election was widely condemned as fraudulent by the United States, the European Union, and other international actors. The protests, which demanded Lukashenka's resignation, were met with mass arrests, alleged torture, and violent crackdowns that left several people dead. Tsikhanouski, as well as other opposition politicians and activists, were arrested and many were sentenced to lengthy prison terms. Many opposition leaders remain imprisoned or in exile, while Lukashenka refuses dialogue with his critics. Tsikhanouskaya was forced into exile in 2020. Her husband was later convicted of organizing riots among other charges following a trial condemned as a sham and sentenced to 18 years in prison. The Romanian parliament has sworn in a new pro-European coalition government led by leftist Social Democrat Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. The new government took the oath of office and held a ceremonial first cabinet meeting after parliament approved the new administration in a 240-143 vote on December 23. President Klaus Iohannis had earlier appointed Ciolacu as prime minister to form a new government after three pro-Western parties agreed on a coalition aimed at preventing far-right groups from joining the government. "You are entering a difficult period in your new responsibilities," Iohannis told the government in a congratulatory message. "I wish you to succeed in everything you set out to do, but, first of all, I wish you to succeed for Romania and Romanians. People expect solutions, stability, and a government that firmly maintains Romania's trajectory." Iohannis said the situation is like no other the country has experienced, adding that all those he spoke to asked for the continuation of the pro-European path. The government, which includes five new ministers, took shape amid political turmoil prompted by revelations about Russia's malign influence that led to the annulment of a presidential election after a Moscow-friendly outsider won the first round. "It will not be an easy mandate for the future government," Ciolacu said in a statement. "We are aware that we are in the midst of a deep political crisis. It is also a crisis of trust, and this coalition aims to regain the trust of citizens, the trust of the people." The coalition government includes Emil Hurezeanu, a former journalist for RFE/RL, who will serve as foreign minister. The parties that together won just over half the seats in parliamentary elections on December 1 -- the leftist Social Democratic Party (PSD), center-right National Liberal Party (PNL), and the ethnic Hungarian UDMR -- reached an agreement to band together late on December 10 in Bucharest. That deal came after they threw their support behind presidential candidate Elena Lasconi ahead of a December 8 scheduled runoff against the pro-Russian independent candidate Calin Georgescu, who had won a shock victory in the first round on November 24. However, Romania's Constitutional Court on December 6 canceled the results of the first round and ordered a rerun of the presidential polls after the EU and NATO member's Supreme Defense Council declassified documents allegedly proving Georgescu's presidential bid had been aided by a campaign led by an unnamed "state actor" with the help of Chinese-owned TikTok social media platform. The PSD and the PNL, the two parties that have dominated Romania's politics since the fall of communism, formed an unlikely left-right alliance in 2021. The alliance became increasingly unpopular while also eroding both parties' support among voters, and allowed the shock rise of pro-Russian, far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, which finished a close second in parliamentary elections with more than 18 percent to PSD's 23 percent. Adding to the current instability, no presidential polls are likely until sometime early next year while it remains unclear if parties would have to propose new candidates or if Georgescu will be allowed to run again. One of the government's first tasks will be to set a date for the new presidential election. Last week, Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan, an independent, said he will be a candidate in the presidential election when it is re-run. Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has called on the ruling Moscow-friendly Georgian Dream party to set a date for new parliamentary elections by December 29 amid unrest over the last vote and the party's unilateral decision to postpone negotiations with the European Union. Zurabishvili has been locked in a standoff with the party since it won October parliamentary elections plagued by allegations of electoral fraud . The opposition has refused to recognize the vote, accusing Georgian Dream of rigging the vote to cling to power. In a speech late on December 22, she invited Russia-friendly billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, a former prime minister and the founder of Georgian Dream, to the presidential palace for talks on setting an election date. Georgian Dream has denied any election wrongdoing and has refused to consider new elections despite almost daily protests over its victory and its subsequent decision to halt talks with the 27-member bloc until 2028. "Ivanishvili should come to the palace, and I am ready to sit down and think about how the elections should be scheduled. The date of the elections should be agreed upon by the 29th," Zurabishvili told a rally on Tbilisi's Rustaveli Avenue, the site of countless Georgian protests. Due to technical issues during the speech, Zurabishvili said she would release a new video recorded message of the address on December 23. Georgia received EU candidate status in December last year but ties with Brussels have been tense in recent months following the adoption in May of a controversial "foreign agent" law pushed through parliament by Georgian Dream, which has ruled since 2012. Critics say the legislation threatens media outlets and civil society groups and mirrors a similar Russian law used by the Kremlin to stifle political opponents and civil society. While initially endorsed by Georgian Dream for her successful presidential run in 2018, Zurabishvili has been a thorn in the ruling party's side. Although officially a nonpartisan president limited to a ceremonial role, Zurabishvili has criticized Georgian Dream for its increasingly authoritarian stance. Earlier this month, an electoral college dominated by Georgian Dream chose Mikheil Kavelashvili, a 53-year-old former soccer player and right-wing populist, as Georgia's next president. His inauguration is supposed to take place on December 29, though the 72-year-old Zurabishvili, whose term ends this year, has said she isn't going anywhere. After the ruling Georgian Dream party declared victory in an election on October 26, protests restarted and intensified after the government said it was suspending talks with Brussels on Tbilisi's bid to join the EU, Georgia’s biggest donor, biggest economic market, and home to the South Caucasus country's biggest diaspora. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said in its final report on the elections -- which it issued on December 20 -- that numerous issues "negatively impacted" the elections and eroded public trust. The report refers to the passage of the "foreign agent" law, modeled on a similar Russian law, saying the election took place amid “serious concerns about the impact of recently adopted legislation on fundamental freedoms and civil society.” The law, which mandates that organizations receiving significant foreign funding register as foreign agents, took effect on August 1, sparking significant backlash from international and domestic actors. The government last week pledged to amend the law, though it did not give details of the changes it would enact. The Kremlin said there are currently no plans for President Vladimir Putin to meet with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump amid a rise in talk of finding a peace deal to end Russia's war against Ukraine. Trump told a conservative convention on December 22 that Putin said he "wants to meet with me as soon as possible.” In response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS on December 23 that "so far, there have been no real impulses" for a meeting with Trump before his inauguration in January. Fighting between Russia and Ukraine has ratcheted up in recent weeks, with Moscow launching waves of drones and missiles across Ukrainian territory, mainly aimed at civilian and energy infrastructure. Kyiv has countered with attacks on Russian oil and energy targets just inside Russian territory and over the weekend struck high-rise buildings in Kazan, the capital of Russia's oil-rich republic of Tatarstan. Last week Putin dangled the prospect of Russian concessions before audiences in Washington and the West, saying more than once during his annual question-and-answer conference that Russia was ready for a compromise. But he attached numerous conditions to the idea of compromise, suggesting Moscow’s goal of subjugating Ukraine and winning major security guarantees from NATO and the West remain in place, as well as saying he does not consider Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy a legitimate leader. Trump has said he would move to end the war quickly and during his remarks at Turning Point’s America Fest convention on December 22, said, "We have to end that war. That war is horrible, horrible." Analysts say that behind closed doors in Moscow, Kyiv, Brussels, Washington, and other capitals diplomats, elected leaders, and military officers are gearing up for what will likely be a full-court press to find a resolution to Europe's largest land war since World War II. In Western negotiating rooms, sentiment has shifted decisively toward a push to resolve a conflict that has killed or wounded more than 1 million men on both sides over 34 months and counting. In a rare meeting with a European Union leader, Putin met with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on December 22. While the main topic was a soon-to-expire contract allowing for Russian natural gas to transit through Ukraine, the two leaders also talked about the military situation in Ukraine and the possibility of a peaceful settlement to the war. Fico is one of the few European leaders with whom Putin has maintained ties since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago. Kyiv said it will not extend the gas transit deal beyond January 1 as payments Russia receives for gas have helped fund Moscow's war. Fico, whose views on Russia's war on Ukraine differ sharply from those of most European leaders, returned to power last year after his leftist party Smer (Direction) won parliamentary elections on a pro-Russia and anti-American platform. Since then, he has ended his country's military aid for Ukraine, hit out at EU sanctions on Russia, and vowed to block Ukraine from joining NATO. Zelenskiy warned on December 23 that Fico's stance on Russian gas was a "big security issue" for Europe. "His key goal is to deal with Russia, and this is what benefits him. This is indeed a big security issue -- both for Slovakia and the entire Europe," Zelenskiy said on X. "Why is this leader so dependent on Moscow? What is being paid to him, and what does he pay with?" he added. Students who have been blocking academic faculties at the University of Belgrade for weeks staged a protest on December 22 to demand accountability for the collapse of a canopy at the train station in Novi Sad that killed 15 people. Streets near Slavija Square in central Belgrade were closed to traffic as thousands gathered for the protest, filling the square and beyond as farmers, actors, and educators joined the student-led protest. The demonstration began at 4:30 p.m. local time with 15 minutes of silence for the victims of the collapse on November 1, which seriously injured two people in addition to killing 15. Many of the participants turned their mobile phone lights on and held them high. The 15 minutes of silence was followed by 30 minutes of participants blowing whistles and vuvuzelas. Student Teodora Topalovic told RFE/RL at the protest that the support of citizens means a lot to the gathered students. "Every time something like this starts at the beginning, I'm first on the verge of tears, and then I pull myself together and continue," Topalovic said. "This means a lot to all the students." Nikola Peric of Belgrade said his motive for coming to this protest is to say "no" to the entire situation and the authorities in Serbia. "To support the students, to honor the people who died innocently, and to try to change the situation in the country, which is not good," he told RFE/RL. Pensioner Tatjana Spolja Miletic told RFE/RL that "new, young forces" have arrived and that the older ones are have joined in the protest to support them. "I can't be silent and sit at home," she said. The organizers demanded the government identify and prosecute the people who allegedly attacked demonstrators during protests that swept across Serbia in the days following the collapse of the canopy. The organizers also called for the release of activists detained during earlier protests and an end to legal proceedings against them. Serbians have protested regularly over the accident to demand accountability. Some of the protests turned violent, but there was no violence reported during the demonstration in Belgrade on December 22. The collapse of the canopy has turned into a political headache for President Aleksandar Vucic as more than 50 academic faculties at four state universities, the offices of several university rectors, and dozens of high schools remain blocked in solidarity with the protests. Students also have taken part in daily protests in which traffic stops for 15 minutes in cities across Serbia. The accident occurred after the railway station had been renovated twice in recent years by a Chinese-led consortium of four companies. Serbian Railways insisted that the renovation didn’t include the concrete overhang, but some experts disputed that. The Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad announced on November 21 that 11 people had been arrested after being found responsible for the collapse. Among them were former Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure Minister Goran Vesic and the ex-director of railway infrastructure Jelena Tanaskovic. They face up to 12 years in prison if they are found guilty of charges of committing criminal acts against public security, endangering the public, and irregular construction work. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico met in the Kremlin on December 22 to discuss a soon-to-expire contract allowing for Russian natural gas to transit through Ukraine. Fico said the meeting with Putin came in reaction to Ukraine saying it would not renew the contract, which is set to run out on December 31. "Putin confirmed [Russia's] readiness to continue supplying gas to the West and to Slovakia in view of the Ukrainian president's stance after January 1, 2025," Fico said on Facebook. He said he and Putin also exchanged views on the military situation in Ukraine, the possibility of a peaceful settlement to the war, and mutual relations between Slovakia and Russia. Fico is one of the few European leaders with whom Putin has maintained ties since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago. Fico arrived in Russia on a "working visit" and met with Putin one-on-one, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying earlier on December 22. According to Russian media reports, Peskov said the meeting was to focus on "the international situation" and was likely to also touch on Russian natural gas deliveries. Slovakia and Hungary, which rely on Russian gas, raised concerns about the prospect of losing supplies after Ukraine said it would not renew the contract. Fico, whose views on Russia's war on Ukraine differ sharply from those of most European leaders, returned to power last year after his leftist party Smer (Direction) won parliamentary elections on a pro-Russia and anti-American platform. Since then, he has ended his country's military aid for Ukraine, hit out at EU sanctions on Russia, and vowed to block Ukraine from joining NATO. The visit by the leader of the NATO- and EU-member country had not been previously announced, but Fico said top EU officials had been informed about his journey and its purpose on December 20. Michal Simecka, leader of the opposition Progressive Slovakia, described Fico's trip to meet Putin as a "shame for Slovakia and a betrayal of national interests." "If the prime minister actually cared about gas transit, he should have negotiated with Ukraine rather than turning Slovakia into a tool of Putin's propaganda," Simecka said on X. Fico also complained that in addition to allowing the natural gas transit contract to expire, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is also in favor of sanctions against the Russian nuclear program. He called this "unacceptable," saying it would financially damage and endanger the production of electricity in nuclear power plants in Slovakia. Zelenskiy said on December 19 during a European Union summit in Brussels that Kyiv could consider continued transit of Russian gas on the condition that Moscow does not receive payment for the fuel until after the war. "We will not give the possibility of additional billions to be earned on our blood, on the lives of our citizens," Zelenskiy said. Zelenskiy also lambasted Fico, who has claimed that his country will face an economic hit if it loses cheap gas from Russia. "To be honest, during war, it's a bit shameful to talk about money, because we are losing people," Zelenskiy said. Zelenskiy said he told Fico that Ukraine would be open to carrying another country's gas through its pipeline infrastructure to reach Europe, but it would need assurances that the gas was not merely relabeled Russian fuel. "We have to know that we will only transit gas if it's not coming from Russia," Zelenskiy said. The European Commission has said it is ready for the current contract to expire, and all countries receiving Russian fuel via the Ukraine route have access to alternative supplies. Russian forces executed five Ukrainian prisoners of war according to the latest war crime allegation against Russian troops raised by Ukraine's ombudsman for human rights. Dmytro Lubinets said on December 22 that Russian troops shot the five unarmed soldiers at point-blank range after they had surrendered. He gave no details but said on Telegram that a Ukrainian military unit had released a video showing the alleged shooting. "I will report this fact to the UN and the ICRC," he said . "Russian war criminals who shoot Ukrainian prisoners of war should be brought before an international tribunal and punished with the most severe punishment provided for by law," Lubinets added. Russia did not immediately comment on the accusation but has previous denied committing war crimes. Lubinets said earlier this month that there had been 177 confirmed cases of executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war by the Russian military since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Andriy Kostin in October called the execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian soldiers a deliberate policy of the Russian Federation. Kostin said in a statement on October 15 that torture and executions without trial and investigation are used as weapons of war, intimidation, and destruction. "We can prove that these cases are not isolated incidents but an organized and targeted policy," Kostin said. The Institute for the Study of War reported in October it had observed an increase in Russian forces executing Ukrainian POWs, adding that "Russian commanders are likely writ large condoning, encouraging, or directly ordering the execution of Ukrainian POWs." A Ukrainian open-source intelligence project reported on October 13 that Russian forces executed nine Ukrainian POWs near the village of Zeleny Shlyakh in the Kursk region on October 10. Lubinets condemned those executions as a serious violation of the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of POWs and stated that he sent letters to the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross regarding the case. The supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has called on Syrians to resist the emerging rebel-led government after the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad, saying the uprising was orchestrated by the West. Speaking in an address on December 22, Khamenei said Syrians, especially the country's youth, "should stand with strong will against those who designed and those who implemented the insecurity." Assad left the country in the late hours of December 8 after the U.S.-designated terrorist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its allies -- some of whom are linked with Turkey -- overran government forces in a blitz offensive. While Assad was granted political asylum in Russia by President Vladimir Putin after more than five decades of iron-fisted rule by his family, the HTS has since moved quickly to establish an interim government, and its leader, Riad al-Asaad, has said he is confident the factions that helped topple Assad will unite as one force. HTS and the transitional government have insisted the rights of all Syrians will be protected, but Khamenei said he believes a group aligned with the Islamic republic's government would end up prevailing in Syria. However, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus on December 22. Details of the meeting were not immediately released, but Turkey has long been seen as a backer of HTS as it looked to remove Assad. The toppling of Assad was seen by many as another blow to Tehran, which has seen regional groups aligned with it -- parts of the so-called axis of resistance -- suffer major setbacks in the past 14 months. Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, has been decimated by Israel, which launched a war against the group in the Gaza Strip and Hamas fighters in October 2023 crossed into Israel and killed 1,200 people while taking another 250 hostage. That conflict spread to Lebanon, home of the Tehran-backed Hezbollah, a militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon. Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the EU blacklists its armed wing but not its political party. Hezbollah’s political party has seats in the Lebanese parliament. Israel has severely weakened Hezbollah -- killing its longtime leader and many of its top officials -- after the group launched attacks on Israel that it said was in support of Hamas. A U.S.-brokered deal to end hostilities in Lebanon took effect last month. Khamenei downplayed the links to Iran, saying they have fought against Israel on their own beliefs. "They keep saying that the Islamic republic lost its proxy forces in the region. This is another mistake. The Islamic republic does not have a proxy forces," he said. “If one day we plan to take action, we do not need proxy force,” he added. Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed revenge over Kyiv's attack a day earlier on high-rise buildings in Kazan , the capital of Russia's oil-rich republic of Tatarstan, as Russia launched a massive drone attack at Ukraine on December 22. More than the 100 drones that Russia launched in the December 22 attack were shot down, according to Ukraine's military. Businesses and apartment buildings were damaged in the Russian attacks, though at this point, the military said, "without casualties." The regions of Kherson, Mykolayiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Poltava, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhya, Zhytomyr, and Kyiv all saw drones fired in their direction, with 52 of the total 103 shot down, the Ukrainian Air Force reported . Russia has stepped up its air attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy saying on December 21 that Moscow has launched more than 550 guided bombs, almost 550 drones, and 20 missiles over the past week. Russia has systematically targeted Ukraine's civilian and energy infrastructure since the start of the war, stepping up attacks especially at the onset of the cold season, causing maximum difficulties and lengthy power cuts for Ukrainians for the third winter in a row. It has also been accused by Kyiv of targeting residential buildings, which Moscow denies. Russia's massive attack comes a day after Ukraine struck high-rise buildings in Kazan , the capital of Russia's oil-rich republic of Tatarstan. Putin vowed to bring more "destruction" to Ukraine in retaliation for the drone attack on Kazan. "Whoever tries to destroy something here will face many times more destruction on their own territory and will regret what they are trying to do in our country," Putin said during a televised meeting. On December 22, Ukraine appeared to again strike inside Russian territory. Andrey Klychkov, the head of Oryol region near the border with Ukraine, said a fire broke out at a fuel infrastructure facility in the village of Stalnoy Kon after the area came under a drone attack, the second in a week. Kyiv has not commented on the accusation, but footage on social media showed what appeared to be explosions in the area. Ukraine has been investing heavily in drone production in part to compensate for its shortage in manpower on the battlefield. Ukraine's Defense Ministry said earlier this month that it had transferred 1.2 million drones to the armed forces through the first 11 months of 2024, including more than 6,000 deep strike drones. Ukraine's drone production is now close to parity with Russia, experts have said. Kyiv has used its long-range drone capacity to hit objects crucial to Russia's war effort, such as weapons and energy facilities. It has tried to avoid civilian targets in part amid concern about backlash from its Western backers. Kazan, one of the wealthiest cities in Russia, is approximately 800 kilometers east of Moscow. Several Russian pensioners were allegedly tricked by scammers into carrying out risky stunts in crowded places in Moscow and St. Petersburg on December 21, police said. A number of the pensioners have been detained, the police said. Law enforcement is still searching for at least one of the suspects. It is unclear who is behind the scam. One incident took place at the Fort shopping center in northeastern Moscow. The building was evacuated following a small explosion in the public services center located there. One woman was treated for injuries after she fell amid the rush for the doors. Meanwhile, a shopping center and a post office in the suburban Moscow towns of Korolev and Khimki, respectively, were evacuated the same day on similar grounds. In Korolev, the explosion blew out several windows and triggered a fire that damaged the shopping center’s ceiling. In the Fort incident, police detained a pensioner who allegedly detonated a firecracker on the instructions of unknown individuals who had extorted 120,000 rubles ($1,200) from her. The 64-year-old suspect in the Korolev incident allegedly tried to detonate pyrotechnics at the police station as well. A 70-year-old woman was detained in connection with the explosion at the post office in Khimki. The same day, two retired women in St. Petersburg allegedly tried to set fire to a police car at the direction of telephone scammers. They have been detained and a case has been opened against them on terrorist charges. Also in St. Petersburg, an explosion occurred at an ATM location belonging to Sberbank, Russia’s largest lender. No injuries were reported. Local media reported that an elderly woman poured a flammable liquid inside the ATM before the explosion. A similar incident at an ATM occurred the night before in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, RFE/RL’s Siberia.Realities reported. This time the suspect was a teenager. Police said the 19-year old girl was duped into carrying out the attack by scammers. She received second-degree burns and is being treated at a hospital. Pakistani militants carried out a daring early-morning raid near the northwestern border with Afghanistan, killing over a dozen officers in the latest attack of 2024 -- a year already marked as one of the deadliest in the region. Laddha Police Deputy Superintendent Hidayat Ullah told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal that 16 security officers were killed when militants opened fire at a security checkpoint in South Waziristan at 2 am on December 21. He said eight more officers were wounded. Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which claimed responsibility for the attack, said it killed 35 Pakistani security officers. Radio Mashaal could not independently confirm the number of officers killed. Neither side said how many militants were killed during the attack. There has been a steady increase in TTP attacks in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province since the Taliban regained control of Kabul in August 2021. The TTP seeks to impose Shari'a law in Pakistan. The latest attack came as the elders of Dre Maseed in the Sur Rogha area of South Waziristan held a meeting on December 20 to demand that the security forces change tactics. Sherpao Maseed, a leader of the assembly, told Radio Mashaal that Pakistani defense forces are targeting militants with artillery and mortar shells , putting civilians in danger. The Pakistan Center for Conflict and Security Studies said in its most recent report that more than 240 people were killed in "terrorist incidents" in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in November The death toll included 68 security officers, the highest in a single month this year. Meanwhile, the Army Public Relations Directorate (ISPR) claims to have killed dozens of suspected militants in operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this month. The governments of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pakistan say they are committed to wiping out the TTP. BUDAPEST -- Hungary's right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's recent reported proposal for NATO members states to increase their defense spending would cripple the Hungarian economy. According to recent reports in Britain's Financial Times and The Telegraph, Trump's team informed European officials that the president-elect was expecting the United States' NATO allies to raise their defense expenditure to 5 percent of national gross domestic product (GDP). Speaking at his year-end press briefing on December 21, Orban said that Hungary has already sweated blood to reach the current 2 percent target, and "if the 2 percent has to be increased, that would shoot the Hungarian economy in the lungs." "We would prefer to not spend even 2 percent of GDP on weaponry...but the world is going in the opposite direction," he said. Orban, who has been accused at home and abroad of democratic backsliding, also said he had not discussed this with Trump, adding that, if the increase is inevitable, then he believes it should be gradual. Hungary budgeted to spend 2.1 percent of GDP in 2024 on defense. Orban is one of Trump's main allies in Europe and, on December 9, he met with the president-elect at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. Throughout the Ukraine war, Orban has maintained friendly ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been critical of EU aid for Ukraine, and has obstructed the bloc's sanctions regime against Moscow. NATO Spending Targets During his time as president between 2016 and 2020, Trump regularly called for NATO members to meet the required 2 percent level of defense spending, goals that most have since met. NATO leadership has also called for member nations to boost spending following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has triggered the largest war in Europe since World War II. Before leaving office, former Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that the alliance's members would "have to be willing to pay the price for peace" and said that the current 2 percent target was "no longer enough to keep us safe." And in Budapest in November, the current NATO secretary-general, Mark Rutte, said at the European Political Community summit that member states would have to pay more. "It will surpass the 2 percent greatly more. I am quite clear about that," Rutte said. The United States contributes around 16 percent to NATO's common-funded budget, which is the joint largest share alongside Germany. The United States will also spend roughly $967 billion on defense in 2024. While that accounts for around two-thirds of what all NATO members will spend on defense combined this year, it represents about 3 percent of GDP. The United States last spent 5 percent of GDP on defense in the late 2000s and early 2010s amid the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. During the Cold War, the United States spent between 5 and 11 percent of GDP on defense . Experts said that Trump's proposal is likely a starting point for negotiations with NATO members. Spat With Poland The Hungarian prime minister also defended Budapest's decision to grant political asylum to Marcin Romanowski, a Polish lawmaker from the right-wing Law and Justice party, who is wanted for alleged corruption during his tenure in Poland's previous government. Orban said he didn't think the case involving a Polish politician would be the last. He added, however, that he wanted to keep "conflicts with Poland at a manageable level," and would refrain from commenting on the country's rule-of-law situation. The Hungarian prime minister's office made the announcement on December 19, arguing that the Polish government was persecuting its political rivals. Warsaw has called the move a "hostile act" and has summoned Hungary's ambassador to Poland. KARACHI, Pakistan -- Pakistani military courts have sentenced 25 people for their part in attacks on military facilities in May 2023. Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of Pakistan's armed forces, said in a statement on December 21 that 25 defendants were given sentences ranging from two to 10 years. On May 9, 2023, following the arrest of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in a fraud case, supporters of Khan's party, Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaf (PTI), attacked and damaged military installations, mosques, and government buildings in cities across Pakistan. Several people were killed and dozens injured in the unrest. In its statement, the military's media wing described the sentences as an "important milestone in dispensation of justice to the nation." It added that May 9, 2023 was a sad day for the country, and it would be officially commemorated every year. In response to the verdicts, PTI wrote on the X social network that the military courts have violated the defendants' constitutional and human rights. Khan's party has said the judicial process is not transparent and about 80 people have been in military custody since the unrest, their fundamental rights violated. Supporters of the imprisoned former prime minister, who is accused of inciting attacks against the armed forces, have expressed concerns that military rather than civilian courts are trying some of the cases. They have staged months of protests to demand Khan's release. PTI says its members and supporters did not attack military or government buildings on May 9, 2023. Last year, Pakistan's Supreme Court ruled that civilians should be tried in civilian courts, not military courts. However, on December 13, the Supreme Court suspended the decision and allowed military courts to hear civilian cases. Others charged over the violence are being tried in anti-terrorism courts. PTI regularly campaigns against corruption and nepotism in Pakistan but has been accused of populism and authoritarian tendencies centered around its charismatic leader Khan. KVIV -- An air-raid warning has been declared in all regions of Ukraine due to possible ballistic missile strikes, Ukrainian military authorities said. Russia continued its regular attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure overnight, launching 113 drone attacks, according to the Ukrainian Air Force on December 21. Of those drones, 57 were shot down, and 56 others were unable to reach their targets, the air force said. The Ukrainian Air Force also said Russia had fired one surface-to-air S-400 missile at central Ukraine, but it did not cause any damage or casualties. RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service reported that in the eastern Ukrainian Zaporizhzhya and Kharkiv regions downed drones damaged apartment buildings, causing casualties. Ukraine was under a general air-raid alert for several hours on December 20 as Russia launched missile and drone attacks against the capital, Kyiv, and several other regions around the country. Russian Advance The latest attacks come as Ukrainian forces are struggling to stop Russia's rapid advance in the east of the country. The Russian Defense Ministry announced on December 21 that Russian forces had taken control of the village of Kostyantynopolske in the eastern Ukrainian Donetsk region. The claim about the village, called Ostrovsky by Russia, could not be independently confirmed by Reuters. Meanwhile, Reuters quoted Aleksandr Khinshtein, the acting governor of Russia's Kursk region, as saying that six people, including one child, were killed in a Ukrainian missile attack on December 20 on the town of Rylsk. Ukraine seized territory in the Kursk region in an incursion in August but has since given up about half its territorial gains. Drones, thought to be from Ukraine, hit high-rise buildings in Kazan , the capital of Russia's republic of Tatarstan, with the attacks causing the city's airport to temporarily suspend flights. No casualties were reported. KAZAN, Russia -- Ukraine struck high-rise buildings in Kazan, the capital of Russia's oil-rich republic of Tatarstan, in the latest display of its growing drone capabilities. The December 21 attacks came in three waves between 7:40 a.m. and 9:20 a.m., the Russian Defense Ministry said. The ministry said the drones were of Ukrainian origin. Western experts said they appeared to be Ukraine's Lyitiy model , a light, aircraft-like drone. Ukrainian authorities have not commented on the strike. The press service of Rustam Minnikhanov, the leader of Tatarstan, said in a statement that eight drones attacked the city. According to the statement, six struck luxury residential buildings, one struck an industrial facility, and one was shot down over a river. In a post on its Telegram channel, Kazan mayor’s office said the drones struck targets in three districts of the city. Two drones slammed into the upper floors of a 37-story luxury skyscraper, according to videos posted on social media. The strikes, which were about 30 minutes apart, hit the glass-and-metal building in roughly the same spot. Schools Evacuated RFE/RL's Tatar-Bashkir Service reported that pupils were evacuated from schools in the Soviet district of Kazan and that sirens could be heard in the city. There were no casualties, local authorities said. According to Interfax reports, Kazan Mayor Ilsur Metshin said that people had been evacuated from the affected buildings and were being provided with accommodation and food. The mayor said that all large events in the city would be canceled over the weekend. Kazan, one of the wealthiest cities in Russia, is approximately 800 kilometers east of Moscow. In a statement, the Russian Defense Ministry said that a "Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle was destroyed over the territory of the Republic of Tatarstan by the air defense forces on duty." Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency said in a statement that "temporary restrictions were imposed at Kazan Airport on the morning of December 21 in order to ensure the safety of civilian flights. Both arrivals and departures are suspended." The ban has since been lifted. Ukrainian drone attacks have previously targeted Russian military and industrial locations in Tatarstan. Local authorities on May 15 shut down two major airports -- one in Kazan and another in the city of Nizhnekamsk -- for several hours "for security reasons" following a drone attack. The Russian Defense Ministry said that "a Ukrainian drone" was shot down over Tatarstan. In April, Ukrainian drones hit an oil refinery in Tatarstan and a dormitory in the Alabuga special economic zone in Yelabuga, which hosts more than 20 industrial enterprises, including chemical, mechanical engineering, and metal treatment factories. It also reportedly houses a facility producing drones. Drone Surge Ukraine has been investing heavily in drone production in part to compensate for its shortage in manpower on the battlefield. Ukraine's Defense Ministry said earlier this month that it had transferred 1.2 million drones to the armed forces through the first 11 months of 2024, including more than 6,000 deep strike drones . Ukraine's drone production is now close to parity with Russia, experts have said. Kyiv has used its long-range drone capacity to hit objects crucial to Russia's war effort, such as weapons and energy facilities. It has tried to avoid civilian targets in part amid concern about backlash from its Western backers. In the summer of 2023, Ukrainian drones twice struck the floors of a high-rise building in Moscow's business district housing Russian government ministries. Experts speculated whether the skyscraper in Kazan that was struck twice was home to someone connected with Russia's war effort. Zelenskiy said that Ukraine will continue to target military objects in Russia with drones and missiles. "We will definitely continue to strike Russian military facilities - with drones and missiles, and increasingly Ukrainian ones, at precisely those military bases, at precisely that Russian military infrastructure that is used in such terror against our people," he said in his regular nightly video address to the nation. In the meantime, Russia has continued its regular attacks against Ukraine, including civilian targets. Russia's armed forces launched 113 drone attacks against Ukraine overnight, according to the Ukrainian Air Force on December 21. Of those drones, 57 were shot down, and 56 others were unable to reach their targets, the air force said. At least two people were killed and more than 60 injured after a car drove at high speed into a busy outdoor Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg, German officials said on December 20. The car plowed into the market in what authorities suspect was an intentional act in the city in the state of Saxony-Anhalt. “This is a terrible event, particularly now in the days before Christmas," Saxony-Anhalt Governor Reiner Haseloff said. The driver of the car was arrested. Haseloff told reporters that the suspect is a 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia who first came to Germany in 2006. He had not been on law enforcement's radar as a known Islamist, security sources told the dpa news agency. "From what we currently know he was a lone attacker, so we don't think there is any further danger for the city," Haseloff said. Haseloff said the two people confirmed dead were an adult and a toddler, and he couldn’t rule out further deaths. Police evacuated the area as they suspected there could be a bomb still in the car that was driven into the market. Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he plans to visit the city on December 21. “The reports from Magdeburg suggest something terrible is to come. My thoughts are with the victims and their families. We stand by their side and by the side of the people of Magdeburg. My thanks go to the dedicated rescue workers in these anxious hours,” Scholz said on X. French President Emmanuel Macron also reacted on X. “Deeply shocked by the horror that struck the Magdeburg Christmas market in Germany this evening. My thoughts are with the victims, the injured, and their loved ones and families. France shares the pain of the German people and expresses its full solidarity,” he said . Magdeburg, a city of about 240,000 residents west of Berlin, is the state capital of Saxony-Anhalt. The suspected attack came eight years after an Islamic extremist plowed into a Christmas market in Berlin. killing 13 people and injuring dozens more. The attacker was killed days later in a shootout in Italy. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said in its final report on the October 26 parliamentary elections in Georgia that numerous issues “negatively impacted" the elections and eroded public trust. The OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) issued the final report on December 20. The OSCE said shortly after the October 26 elections that it had recorded instances of vote-buying, double-voting, physical violence, and intimidation. The final report reiterates the organization's concerns and offers recommendations to improve elections in Georgia. “Numerous issues noted in our final report negatively impacted the integrity of these elections and eroded public trust in the process,” said Eoghan Murphy, who headed the ODIHR’s 2024 election observation mission to Georgia. Murphy urged authorities in Georgia to urgently address all concerns about the elections, which gave the ruling Georgian Dream party more than 54 percent of the vote, enough to maintain control of the government. Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze acknowledged that the final report contains "critical remarks," including on the suppression of votes. "In 76 percent of the polling stations where it observed, OSCE/ODIHR did not identify any irregularities at all," he said at a briefing, adding that in other cases there were "isolated irregularities" that were identified. "These were related to incorrect ballot entry, improper arrangement of the polling station, so-called leaks, video recording, etc." According to Kobakhidze, the Georgian Dream government is ready to cooperate with the OSCE to implement its recommendations. The report refers to the passage of a "foreign agents" law modeled on a similar Russian law, earlier in the year, saying the election took place amid “serious concerns about the impact of recently adopted legislation on fundamental freedoms and civil society.” The law, which mandates that organizations receiving significant foreign funding register as “foreign agents,” took effect on August 1, sparking significant backlash from international and domestic actors. The final report also cites pressure on voters and election day practices that “compromised the ability of some voters to cast their vote without fear of retribution.” In addition, there was an overall lack of response to complaints in the post-election period, the report said, saying the ODIHR “found that cases were not considered sufficiently, limiting legal remedies.” The report reiterates the negative impact of the “polarized and instrumentalized media” and limited campaign finance oversight. It notes that candidates were generally able to campaign freely, and candidates across 18 party lists competed, but a "significant imbalance in financial resources contributed to the uneven playing field.” Demonstrators began gathering in central Tbilisi soon after the elections as criticism mounted over voting irregularities. The protests intensified after Kobakhidze announced that Tbilisi was suspending until 2028 talks with Brussels on Georgia's bid to join the European Union. The ODIHR notes that some protests were violently dispersed, resulting in numerous arrests and allegations of brutality toward protesters and journalists. The ODIHR said that the suppression of protests by force and numerous arrests “caused grave concerns about compliance with international commitments to freedom of peaceful assembly.” Poland has summoned Hungary's ambassador over Budapest's decision to grant political asylum to a Polish opposition politician who is wanted for alleged corruption during his tenure in Poland's previous government. Warsaw was outraged by Hungary's decision to grant political asylum to Marcin Romanowski. The decision, announced the Hungarian prime minister's office on December 19, accused the Polish government of persecuting its political opponents. Poland called the move a "hostile act" that runs counter to the principle of loyal cooperation among members of the European Union. "In response to this action, the Hungarian ambassador to Poland will be summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today, where he will receive an official protest note," the ministry said on December 20. The ministry also said that if Hungary fails to comply with its EU obligations, Poland will ask the European Commission to respond. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk's government says it has opened the door for prosecutors to investigate suspected wrongdoings committed during the tenure of the nationalist Law and Justice party, which ruled the country for eight years until 2023 and which have been covered up. Tusk said he was dismayed by Hungary's decision to shelter a man being sought on suspicions of defrauding the state of millions of zlotys. “I did not expect corrupt politicians escaping justice would be able to choose between [Belarusian authoritarian leader Alyaksandr] Lukashenka and [Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor] Orban,” Tusk said on December 20. His reference to Lukashenka was apparently linked to the case of a Polish judge who fled to Belarus. Romanowski was detained during the investigation but released in July. He denies the charges against him. Through his lawyer he has argued that he is the victim of political retribution by Tusk's government. Gergely Gulyas, head of Orban's office, said the decision of the Hungarian authorities was in line with both domestic and European Union legislation. He said Romanowski's arrest raised serious concerns about fair treatment and political bias in Polish judicial proceedings. Polish opposition lawmakers, including Romanowski, accused Tusk's government of conducting a politically motivated witch-hunt against them. Romanowski told Polish broadcaster TV Republika that he thinks the fact that Hungary has granted him asylum confirms that "we are dealing with political persecution in Poland." Prosecutors and judges in Poland are politically controlled, he said. A spokesman for the European Commission declined to comment on the specific case but emphasized that EU member states are obligated to enforce European arrest warrants. Stefan de Keersmaecker said at a briefing in Brussels on December 20 that the obligation means that Hungary should send Romanowski back to Poland to face justice. The spokesman added that all EU member states maintain a high level of protection for fundamental rights and freedoms, making them all safe countries for asylum seekers. But an asylum application from a national of another EU member state can only be accepted under exceptional circumstances. The Georgian government has pledged to amend its controversial "foreign agents" law following discussions with the secretary-general of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset. Berset announced at a press briefing in Tbilisi on December 20, wrapping up a three-day visit, that a working group including Georgian representatives, the Council of Europe, and the Venice Commission will be formed to draft necessary changes to the legislation. "The government of Georgia promised to modify the content of the 'Foreign Influence Transparency' law. This working group will determine the specific changes required. I hope similar collaborative processes can extend to other areas, such as equality, anti-discrimination, electoral reform, and reforms in penitentiary and probation systems," Berset said. The law, modeled on a similar Russian law, mandates that organizations receiving significant foreign funding register as "foreign agents." Passed by the Georgian parliament in May despite a presidential veto, it came into force on August 1, sparking significant backlash from international and domestic actors. Georgian NGOs began appearing on the "foreign agent" registry in October, raising concerns about their ability to operate freely. Critics, including the European Union, have warned that the law could derail Georgia's aspirations for EU membership. While Moscow praised the Georgian government for adopting the law, Western countries, including the United States and Britain, condemned it as a tool for undermining democracy. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, however, reiterated Georgia's openness to discussions about the law. "If anyone proves there's something harmful in this legislation, we're ready to address it and work with relevant structures of the Council of Europe," Kobakhidze said. Berset's visit comes amid heightened political tensions in Georgia, marked by public polarization, high-level violence, and allegations of electoral misconduct. Addressing the situation, Berset emphasized: "Georgia is at a critical juncture. The country is filled with political tension, polarized public debate, and high levels of violence," adding that the country "deserves stability and democracy." "I am not here to legitimize elections; that is the responsibility of other competent institutions," Berset said, stressing that his primary goal was "to support Georgia and its people." He also said that resolving the political crisis depends on "upholding democracy, human rights, and the rule of law." During his visit, Berset held multiple meetings with government officials, including Kobakhidze, Georgian Dream party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, and opposition representatives. His visit is seen as an effort to mediate amid deep divisions within Georgian society. On December 19, the United States imposed sanctions on Georgia's Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri and Special Tasks Department Deputy Director Mirza Kezevadze under the Global Magnitsky Act. Hours earlier, Britain had sanctioned Gomelauri and four other senior officials. These sanctions reflect growing Western dissatisfaction with Georgia's political trajectory. Despite this, Kobakhidze assured that the government would "compensate any losses" incurred by sanctioned individuals and announced plans to award honors to the Interior Ministry's leadership following the presidential poll in February 2025 and inauguration of Georgia's next president, whose legitimacy is contested by the opposition and the current President Salome Zurabishvili. Georgia's "foreign agents" law has become a focal point in the country's strained relations with the West. The government's decision last month to delay European Union accession talks until 2028 also sparked protests in the country and criticism in the West. Moreover, economic hardship and the threat of backsliding from the Euro-Atlantic course have created a sense of urgency and fertile ground for unrest. International partners are apprehensive that Georgia's adoption of tactics similar to those used by Moscow could undermine its democratic progress and EU aspirations. Russia's top Islamic body has approved a religious edict that allows Muslim men to practice polygamy, which contradicts Russian law that prohibits individuals from entering multiple registered marriages simultaneously. The Council of Islamic Clerics of Russia's Spiritual Administration of Muslims (DUM), issued a fatwa on December 18 that allows a Muslim male to enter up to four marriages at the same time as long as certain conditions are met. Russia's Family Code explicitly prohibits a person from entering a registered marriage with someone who is already married. But it comes as the Russian authorities are grappling with a dire demographic situation amid a population decline exacerbated by emigration, low birthrates, and high mortality. While the full text of the fatwa has yet to be published, reports from Russian news agencies TASS and RIA Novosti revealed key provisions in it that allow Muslim men to enter into multiple religious marriages. The fatwa stipulates that a man can engage in polygamy only if he ensures equitable treatment for all wives. This includes equal material provision, separate housing for each wife, and spending equal time with them according to an agreed schedule. If a man cannot meet these requirements, he is prohibited from entering multiple religious marriages unless a bride "voluntarily waives" her rights to them. Other circumstances under which polygamy is permitted by the DUM include cases where the first wife cannot conceive due to health issues, lack of desire, or age; in situations of "sexual incompatibility" between spouses; or when a man wishes to provide social and financial support to a single woman and her children. The DUM has acknowledged that women in purely religious marriages lack legal protections, which critics argue may leave women in polygamous religious marriages vulnerable. The conditions for such a marriage, they say, place a significant burden of proof on religious institutions or individuals to ensure compliance. How these provisions align with Russia's secular legal framework and broader societal norms is yet to be determined. Russian officials have yet to comment on the fatwah. The government, however, has been looking for ways to spur Russians to have more children as the declining population ages, a problem worsened by the Kremlin's war in Ukraine, which experts say has seen hundreds of thousands of Russian men die. The Russian government has actively promoted policies to encourage women to have more children, with financial incentives for larger families and efforts to discourage abortions. The Russian Orthodox Church has been assisting the government to promote such policies. Ukraine launched a deadly missile attack on the Russian region of Kursk on December 20, just hours after Russia carried out a massive air assault on Kyiv during rush hour that killed one person and damaged a historic cathedral and other buildings in the capital, including six embassies. Russia's Investigative Committee said an unspecified number of people were killed in the attack on Kursk involving U.S.-supplied HIMARS rockets on the town of Rylsk. According to Mash Telegram channel , at least five people have been killed, and 26 others injured. The attack has destroyed several critical pieces of social infrastructure, including a pedagogical college, a cultural center, and a school. The attack came shortly after Russian launched a barrage of missiles and drones at Kyiv and several other regions around Ukraine. The whole of Ukraine was under a general air-raid alert for several hours as Russia launched eight missiles -- including hypersonic Kinzhal missiles and Iskander/KN-23 ballistic missiles -- on Kyiv alone, Serhiy Popko, the head of Kyiv's military administration, reported . Ukrainian cities and infrastructure continue to sustain regular Russian drone and missile strikes while outgunned and outmanned Ukrainian forces are facing difficulties in staving off Russia's increasingly rapid advance in the east. One person was killed by a strike in Kyiv's Holosiyiv district, while eyewitnesses reported several blasts in the city. The U.S. State Department condemned the missile attack, which damaged a building hosting several diplomatic missions. "Any attack against diplomats or diplomatic facilities anywhere is unacceptable," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on X. Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko separately reported that falling debris from downed Russian drones fell on four of the capital's districts -- Holosiyiv, Solomyansk, Shevchenkivsk, and Dniprovsk -- wounding at least two people. Kyiv restaurateur Nadir Ahundov voiced his outrage at the Russian strike that completely destroyed his restaurant. "These subhuman [Russians], to drop such bombs on residential buildings," Ahundov told RFE/RL. "I put my heart, my soul into [creating] this," he said, pointing to the trees outside the restaurnat. "These trees were small when I planted them. Look at them now -- those monsters knocked them down." In Kherson, a 60-year-old man was killed in a Russian strike and two others, including an 86-year-old man, were wounded, regional Governor Roman Mrochko reported on Telegram. Late on December 19, a Russian missile struck and badly damaged a two-story apartment building in the southeastern city of Kryviy Rih, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's hometown, wounding five people, including two pulled alive from under the rubble, officials said. The attack also crippled the power supply in parts of the city of 600,000 and damaged a hospital, regional Governor Serhiy Lysak said. In a statement on Telegram, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that the strikes on December 20 were "in response" to Ukrainian attacks on Russian targets using Western-supplied weapons. The latest wave of attacks from both sides came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested at his highly choreographed annual press conference a "high-tech duel" over Kyiv to prove that Russia's new hypersonic ballistic missile, dubbed Oreshnik, cannot be shot down by Western-supplied air defenses. "It would be interesting for us.... Let's conduct this experiment, this technological duel, and see the results. I think it would be useful for both us and the Americans," Putin said. In reaction, Zelenskiy posted a message on X calling Putin a "dumbass." "People are dying, and he thinks it’s 'interesting'... Dumbass," Zelenskiy wrote. The United States and the United Kingdom have announced sanctions on Georgian Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri and other senior officials in the ministry in response to their alleged role in a violent crackdown on journalists, opposition figures, and anti-government protesters. The United States also imposed sanctions on Mirza Kezevadze, deputy head of the special forces department in the Georgian Interior Ministry, the U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement on December 19. The Treasury Department said it was taking the action in coordination with Britain, which on December 19 imposed sanctions on Gomelauri and four other officials of the Interior Ministry for alleged human rights violations. A U.S. Treasury Department official said the reasons cited by the two governments for imposing the sanctions were similar. “In the wake of Georgia’s election, key officials in the Ministry of Internal Affairs engaged in a severe and vicious crackdown against their own people, including the intentional targeting of journalists and use of violence,” Acting Undersecretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley T. Smith said in the statement. Any assets owned by Gomelauri and Kezevadze in U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, making their business operations more difficult, the Treasury Department statement said. In addition to Gomelauri, Britain imposed sanctions on deputy Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze, Sulkhan Tamazashvili, Zviad Kharazishvili, and Mileri Lagazauri, according to a U.K. government statement. Thousands demonstrated in Tbilisi again on the night of December 19. It was the 22nd consecutive day of protests against the government's decision to effectively halt the country's EU accession talks. The protesters have questioned the legitimacy of the victory of the Georgian Dream party in the election that took place at the end of October. The demonstrations intensified after Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced that Tbilisi was suspending until 2028 talks with Brussels on Georgia's bid to join the European Union. “Security forces from the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Special Task Department responded to protests with disproportionate violence to suppress dissent and discourage protesters,” the U.S. Treasury Department’s statement said. Georgia's pro-Europe president, Salome Zurabishvili, has said the October 26 election was rigged with the help of Moscow and has vowed not to leave office even when her successor -- selected by what protesters say is an illegitimate parliament -- is scheduled to be sworn in on December 29. Zurabishvili has condemned the "brutal and disproportionate attacks on the Georgian people and media," comparing the crackdown to "Russian-style repression." Demonstrations have repeatedly been violently broken up, activists have been detained, and opposition politicians and media representatives attacked. Georgia received EU candidate status in December 2023, and according to surveys, a majority of Georgians support EU membership. Kobakhidze has refused to back down and threatened to punish political opponents, whom he accuses of being behind violence that has occurred at the protests. Georgia’s relations with Brussels soured with the adoption of a Russian-style "foreign agent" law that critics say threatens media and civil society groups by accusing them of "serving" outside powers.Joe Biden begins final White House holiday season with turkey pardons for 'Peach' and 'Blossom' WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has kicked off his final holiday season at the White House, issuing the traditional reprieve to two turkeys who will bypass the Thanksgiving table to live out their days in Minnesota. The president welcomed 2,500 guests under sunny skies as he cracked jokes about the fates of “Peach” and “Blossom.” He also sounded wistful tones about the last weeks of his presidency. Separately, first lady Jill Biden received the delivery of the official White House Christmas tree. And the Bidens are traveling to New York later Monday for an early holiday celebration with members of the Coast Guard. Bah, humbug! Vandal smashes Ebenezer Scrooge's tombstone used in 'A Christmas Carol' movie LONDON (AP) — If life imitates art, a vandal in the English countryside may be haunted by The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Police in the town of Shrewsbury are investigating how a tombstone at the fictional grave of Ebenezer Scrooge was destroyed. The movie prop used in the 1984 adaption of Charles Dickens' “A Christmas Carol” had become a tourist attraction. The film starred George C. Scott as the cold-hearted curmudgeon who is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve who show him what will become of his life if he doesn’t become a better person. West Mercia Police say the stone was vandalized in the past week. Megachurch founder T.D. Jakes suffers health incident during sermon at Dallas church DALLAS (AP) — The founder of Dallas-based megachurch The Potter's House, Bishop T.D. Jakes, was hospitalized after suffering what the church called a “slight health incident.” Jakes was speaking to churchgoers after he sat down and began trembling as several people gathered around him Sunday at the church. Jakes' daughter Sarah Jakes Roberts and her husband Touré Roberts said in a statement on social media late Sunday that Jakes was improving. The 67-year-old Jakes founded the non-denominational The Potter's House in 1996 and his website says it now has more than 30,000 members with campuses in Fort Worth and Frisco, Texas; and in Denver. Warren Buffett gives away another $1.1B and plans for distributing his $147B fortune after his death OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Investor Warren Buffett renewed his Thanksgiving tradition of giving by announcing plans Monday to hand more than $1.1 billion of Berkshire Hathaway stock to four of his family's foundations, and he offered new details about who will be handing out the rest of his fortune after his death. Buffett has said previously that his three kids will distribute his remaining $147.4 billion fortune in the 10 years after his death, but now he has also designated successors for them because it’s possible that Buffett’s children could die before giving it all away. Buffett said he has no regrets about his decision to start giving away his fortune in 2006. At the crossroads of news and opinion, 'Morning Joe' hosts grapple with aftermath of Trump meeting The reaction of those who defended “Morning Joe” hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski for meeting with President-elect Trump sounds almost quaint in the days of opinionated journalism. Doesn't it makes sense, they said, for hosts of a political news show to meet with such an important figure? But given how “Morning Joe” has attacked Trump, its viewers felt insulted. Many reacted quickly by staying away. It all reflects the broader trend of opinion crowding out traditional journalist in today's marketplace, and the expectations that creates among consumers. By mid-week, the show's audience was less than two-thirds what it has typically been this year. Pop star Ed Sheeran apologizes to Man United boss Ruben Amorim for crashing interview MANCHESTER, England (AP) — British pop star Ed Sheeran has apologized to Ruben Amorim after inadvertently interrupting the new Manchester United head coach during a live television interview. Amorim was talking on Sky Sports after United’s 1-1 draw with Ipswich on Sunday when Sheeran walked up to embrace analyst Jamie Redknapp. The interview was paused before Redknapp told the pop star to “come and say hello in a minute.” Sheeran is a lifelong Ipswich fan and holds a minority stake in the club. He was pictured celebrating after Omari Hutchinson’s equalizing goal in the game at Portman Road. A desert oasis outside of Dubai draws a new caravan: A family of rodents from Argentina AL QUDRA LAKES, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A desert oasis hidden away in the dunes in the far reaches of skyscraper-studded Dubai has drawn a surprising new set of weary world travelers: a pack of Argentinian rodents. A number of Patagonian mara, a rabbit-like mammal with long legs, big ears and a body like a hoofed animal, now roam the grounds of Al Qudra Lakes, typically home to gazelle and other desert creatures of the United Arab Emirates. How they got there remains a mystery in the UAE, a country where exotic animals have ended up in the private homes and farms of the wealthy. But the pack appears to be thriving there and likely have survived several years already in a network of warrens among the dunes. Pilot dies in plane crash in remote woods of New York, puppy found alive WINDHAM, N.Y. (AP) — Authorities say a pilot and at least one dog he was transporting died when a small plane crashed in the snowy woods of the Catskill Mountains, though a puppy on the flight was found alive with two broken legs. The Greene County sheriff’s office says Seuk Kim of Springfield, Virginia, was flying from Maryland to Albany, New York, when the plane crashed at about 6:10 p.m. Sunday in a remote area. Officials believe the pilot died from the impact. The surviving dog was hospitalized, while a third dog was not located. The flight was connected with a not-for-profit group that transports rescue animals. New Zealanders save more than 30 stranded whales by lifting them on sheets WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — More than 30 pilot whales that stranded themselves on a beach in New Zealand have been safely returned to the ocean after conservation workers and residents helped to refloat them by lifting them on sheets. New Zealand’s conservation agency said four whales died. New Zealand is a whale stranding hotspot and pilot whales are especially prolific stranders. The agency praised as “incredible” the efforts made by hundreds of people to help save the foundering pod. A Māori cultural ceremony for the three adult whales and one calf that died in the stranding took place Monday. Rainbow-clad revelers hit Copacabana beach for Rio de Janeiro’s pride parade RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Thousands of revelers have gathered alongside Copacabana beach for Rio de Janeiro’s annual gay pride parade, many scantily dressed and covered in glitter. Rainbow-colored flags, towels and fans abounded among the crowd mostly made up of young revelers, who danced and sang along to music blaring from speakers. While the atmosphere was festive, some spoke of the threat of violence LGBTQ+ people face in Brazil. At least 230 LGBTQ+ Brazilians were victims of violent deaths in 2023, according to the umbrella watchdog group Observatory of LGBTQ+ deaths and violence in Brazil.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Even when Penn State quarterback Drew Allar gets some praise, it's usually a backhanded compliment. They say he's a good game manager and stays within himself, or that he doesn't try to do too much. They mention he might not be flashy, but he gives the team a chance to win. And here's the thing about Penn State since Allar stepped under center: The Nittany Lions have won games. A lot of them. Sometimes that's hard to remember considering the lukewarm reception he often gets from fans. "I get it — we have a really passionate fan base and they're a huge part of our success," Allar said Sunday at College Football Playoff quarterfinals media day. "For us, we always want to go out there every drive and end with a touchdown, so when we don't do that, there's nobody more frustrated than us." The polarizing Allar is having a solid season by just about any standard, completing more than 68% of his passes for 3,021 yards, 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions while leading the sixth-seeded Nittany Lions to a 12-2 record and a spot in the Fiesta Bowl for Tuesday's game against No. 3 seed Boise State. But in a college football world filled with high-scoring, explosive offenses, Allar's no-frills performances often are the object of ire. The Penn State offense is a run-first bunch, led by the talented combo of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. "If we had a nickel for every time there was a Monday morning quarterback saying some BS stuff, we'd all be pretty rich," offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki said. "I think part of being a quarterback, especially at Penn State but really anywhere, is how you respond to and manage criticism." The 20-year-old Allar has made strides in that department after a trying 2023 season that finished with a 10-3 record. He says that's largely because once fall camp started back in August, he logged off the social media platform X. Allar said negative online experiences wore on him last year, and his phone number was leaked a few times, which added to the stress. He finally realized that controlling outside narratives was impossible, so the best course of action was to eliminate a needless distraction. "I've been more mentally free, as much as that sounds crazy," Allar said. "I think that's been a huge difference for me this year." The biggest criticism of Allar — and really Penn State as a whole during the 11-year James Franklin era — is that he isn't capable of winning the big games. He's 0-2 against rival Ohio State and threw a late interception against Oregon in the Big Ten title game earlier this month, which sealed the Ducks' 45-37 victory. He wasn't great in the CFP's first round, either, completing just 13 of 22 passes for 127 yards as Penn State muscled past SMU 38-10 on a cold, blustery day to advance to the Fiesta Bowl. But the quarterback is confident a better performance — aided by a game that will be played in comfortable temperatures in a domed stadium — is coming. "For me, I just have to execute those (easy) throws early in the game and get our guys into rhythm," Allar said. "Get them involved early as much as I can and that allows us to stay on the field longer, call more plays and open up our offense more. That will help us a ton, building the momentum throughout the game." Allar might be a favorite punching bag for a section of the Penn State fan base, but that's not the case in his own locker room. Star tight end Tyler Warren praised his quarterback's ability to avoid sacks, saying that the 6-foot-5, 238-pounder brings a toughness that resonates with teammates. "He's a football player," Warren said. "He plays quarterback, but when you watch him play and the energy he brings and the way he runs the ball, he's just a football player and that fires up our offense." Now Allar and Penn State have a chance to silence critics who say that the Nittany Lions don't show up in big games. Not that he's worried about what other people think. "I think it's a skill at the end of the day — blocking out the outside noise," Allar said. "Focusing on you and the process and being honest with yourself, both good and bad." Get local news delivered to your inbox!Denbighshire’s cabinet member for finance said the council should be proud of its achievements, despite multiple ‘red marks’ in a performance objective report. The corporate plan performance report details the council’s successes, areas for improvement, and failures against its corporate plan. At a cabinet meeting this week, members were presented with a quarterly report documenting Denbighshire’s objectives between April and September for strategic equality and its seven governance areas. The governance areas include corporate planning, financial planning, performance management, risk management, workforce planning, assets, and procurement. The council’s progress in the report was marked green, amber, and red, according to how successful it had been. Numerous areas were highlighted in red, including housing list waiting times, the number of homes for the disabled awaiting improvements, and several markers for homelessness. Other areas marked in red included those involving repair work to damaged roads, children in poverty, and net carbon zero targets. The report also acknowledged Denbighshire’s failings around the launch of its new recycling and bin collection scheme. But speaking at a cabinet meeting this week, cabinet member for finance Cllr Gwyneth Ellis preferred to focus on the areas the council had had success. Positives in the report included the council reducing its reliance on bed and breakfasts for those waiting for housing. Other areas of success included the council being the highest performing housing stock-holding council in Wales, according to the Welsh Government’s Social Landlords’ Tenant Satisfaction Survey. The report also highlighted ‘excellent community benefits’ from two large procurements as well as other areas of success. Cllr Ellis commented: “It is very easy to feel sad in the current (financial) climate with the council having to find massive savings and having to accept that services will inevitably suffer as a result. “So it is easy to look at this report and see the reds and the amber, but in my opinion, it is much more important to look at the green.” She added: “I think it is incredible that we as a council are still able to do so much well even when facing exceptional challenges, and that is an indication of the hard work and perseverance of our staff in my opinion. I think it is important to acknowledge that when we see a report like this.” Denbighshire increased council tax by 9.34% last year whilst cutting services, despite receiving the highest local government settlement in North Wales. Last time around, council leaders pointed to an increase in costs and pressures due to inflation. The authority’s medium-term financial plan forecasts cost pressures ranging from £12m to £26m in the red in 2025/26 with a mid-range of £18m. Consequently the council has modelled for a council tax rise ranging between a 6% and 12% increase. Cabinet unanimously confirmed the report for approval.

Vaccines don't cause autism. What does?borealisgallery Elevator Thesis Take-Two Interactive Software is gearing up for what’s sure to be a massive year for its business. Its crown jewel in the Grand Theft Auto ("GTA") series is set to launch what promises to be the biggest Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Israeli hospital says Netanyahu has undergone successful prostate surgeryBJP General Secretary Vinod Tawde on Friday sent a defamation notice to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and party spokesperson Supriya Shrinate over cash for vote allegation against him. Mr. Tawde described the allegations against him as a campaign of misinformation aimed at damaging his and his party’s reputation. The BJP leader said that if Congress leaders do not apologise, he will initiate criminal and civil proceedings for the damages of Rs 100 crore. Mr. Tawde was accused by the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi, a regional party from the Palghar district, of distributing Rs five crore to woo voters a day before the voting. Over hundred BVA workers had literally held the BJP leader hostage for more than three hours in a hotel at Vasai in Palghar district. BVA leaders claimed that they recovered bags containing cash and a dairy detailing payments done. The ECI said that a cash of Rs.9.50 lakh was recovered from the spot and it was conducting further investigations. After the accusations from the BVA, Congress leaders alleged that Mr. Tawde was caught red handed and accused the BJP of using money to buy votes. Mr. Gandhi had demanded an explanation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding “Rs five crore” found in Mr. Tawde’s possession. Mr. Kharge also attacked PM Modi saying while he promises to keep Maharashtra safe with money and muscle power, his party’s leader was “caught red-handed with Rs five crore”. In the notice, Mr. Tawde said, “On the eve of Maharashtra Assembly elections, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and party spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said that Vinod Tawde was caught red-handed with Rs five crores... They just wanted to defame me and my party.” The BJP leader further said that he was seriously hurt by the baseless accusations. “I come from a regular middle-class family. For the last 40 years, I have been in politics but I have never done anything like that. Congress leaders wanted to defame me, party and my leaders so they purposefully spoke this untruth to the media and people, hence I have issued a court notice to them that they should apologise publicly or face the action,” he said. Mr. Tawde further said that if the Congress leaders do not apologise within 24 hours, he will seek Rs 100 crore damages. The notice says, “Our client has decided to give you all an opportunity for tendering unconditional apology to our client hence; you all are hereby called upon to tender unconditional apology to our client within 24 hours... by getting the unconditional apology published in the equally bold letters in the at least three English and three Language newspapers Hindi and Marathi news paper on the front page and also transmitted on Twitter/X account etc.”

Shares of multibagger stock Evans Electric are likely to remain in focus on Tuesday as the stock is approaching its record date (December 26) to determine its eligible shareholders for its 1:1 bonus share issue . This makes today the last day to buy the shares of Evans Electric in order to qualify for the said bonus share issue. “We would like to kindly inform you that the Company has fixed Thursday, 26 December, 2024 as the record date for the purpose of ascertaining the eligibility of shareholders for entitlement of Bonus Shares in the ratio of 1 (One) Equity Share of Re. 10/- (Rupee Ten Only) each for every 1 (One) Equity Shares of Re. 10/- (Rupee Ten Only) each, for which the Company has obtained shareholders’ approval on Friday, December 13, 2024,” said the company in a filing to the stock exchanges. This is the second instance of the company proceeding with the issue of bonus shares, according to the Trendlyne data. Earlier in 2023, the company had issued the bonus shares in the ratio of 1:1. The record date is the date set by the company to decide the shareholders who are eligible to receive the offer. To be eligible for a buyback offer, bonus issue or a stock split, the shares should be in the demat account on the record date. Stock Trading A2Z of Stock Trading - Online Stock Trading Course By - elearnmarkets, Financial Education by StockEdge View Program Stock Trading Renko Chart Patterns Made Easy By - Kaushik Akiwatkar, Derivative Trader and Investor View Program Stock Trading Derivative Analytics Made Easy By - Vivek Bajaj, Co Founder- Stockedge and Elearnmarkets View Program Stock Trading Technical Analysis Demystified: A Complete Guide to Trading By - Kunal Patel, Options Trader, Instructor View Program Stock Trading Ichimoku Trading Unlocked: Expert Analysis and Strategy By - Dinesh Nagpal, Full Time Trader, Ichimoku & Trading Psychology Expert View Program Stock Trading Algo Trading Made Easy By - Vivek Gadodia, Partner at Dravyaniti Consulting and RBT Algo Systems View Program Stock Trading Stock Investing Made Easy: Beginner's Stock Market Investment Course By - elearnmarkets, Financial Education by StockEdge View Program Stock Trading RSI Made Easy: RSI Trading Course By - Souradeep Dey, Equity and Commodity Trader, Trainer View Program Stock Trading Complete Guide to Stock Market Trading: From Basics to Advanced By - Harneet Singh Kharbanda, Full Time Trader View Program Stock Trading Stock Valuation Made Easy By - Rounak Gouti, Investment commentary writer, Experience in equity research View Program Stock Trading Options Scalping Made Easy By - Sivakumar Jayachandran, Ace Scalper View Program Stock Trading Introduction to Technical Analysis & Candlestick Theory By - Dinesh Nagpal, Full Time Trader, Ichimoku & Trading Psychology Expert View Program Stock Trading Market 101: An Insight into Trendlines and Momentum By - Rohit Srivastava, Founder- Indiacharts.com View Program Stock Trading Dow Theory Made Easy By - Vishal Mehta, Independent Systematic Trader View Program Shareholders who buy the stock at least one day before the ex-date are eligible for the offers as settlement happens the next day. Those buying the stock on the ex-date are not eligible for dividends/splits/bonus issues etc. A 1:1 bonus share issue means that for each share of the company held by its shareholders, they would get one extra share credited to their accounts. Also read: Forgotten bluechip! Asian Paints shares near 4-year-low, will 2025 be a comeback year? Shares of Evans Electric have given multibagger returns of 139.2% in the last one year and by 135.5% in the current year so far. In the last 3 months, the stock has given 44.28% returns and 39% in the last 6 months, according to the BSE analytics. Evans Electric shares closed 1.3% lower at Rs 419.85 on the BSE on Monday. ( Disclaimer : Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of Economic Times) ET Year-end Special Reads An Indian's guide to moving abroad as the world looks for 'better' immigrants The year of the HNIs: How India's rich splurged in 2024 (You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel )

German politicians have criticised Elon Musk for an opinion piece he wrote backing the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), claiming his support for the party was “intrusive”. The support of the AfD from Musk, who is set to serve in US President-elect Donald Trump's administration, comes as Germans are set to vote on February 23. The vote was triggered after a coalition government led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz collapsed in a dispute over how to revitalise Germany’s stagnant economy. Mr Musk wrote an op-ed in German in the Welt am Sonntag newspaper claiming that “only the AfD can save Germany" and praised the party's approach to regulation, taxes and market deregulation. He went on to say the party “can lead the country into a future where economic prosperity, cultural integrity and technological innovation are not just wishes, but reality.” The editor of the newspaper’s opinion section, Eva Marie Kogel, resigned after the publication of the article. She wrote on X: “I always enjoyed leading the opinion section of WELT and WAMS. Today an article by Elon Musk appeared in Welt am Sonntag. I handed in my resignation yesterday after it went to print.” Friedrich Merz, leader of the opposition Christian Democrats and current favourite to succeed Scholz as chancellor, said in an interview with the Funke Media Group: "I cannot recall a comparable case of interference, in the history of Western democracies, in the election campaign of a friendly country." Mr Merz described the commentary as "intrusive and pretentious". Saskia Esken, co-leader of Scholz's Social Democrats (SPD), vowed fierce resistance to attempts by state actors as well as the rich and influential to influence Germany's elections. “In Elon Musk's world, democracy and workers' rights are obstacles to more profit,” she told Reuters. “We say quite clearly: Our democracy is defensible and it cannot be bought.” Welt's editor-in-chief designate defended the decision to publish the commentary, saying that democracy and journalism thrive on freedom of opinion, including polarising positions. The AfD is currently second in the opinion polls and might be able to thwart a centre-right or centre-left majority. However, the party has no realistic possibility of entering power because other parties refuse to work with them.Washington Commanders win in overtime to clinch play-off berth

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (AP) — Nyle Ralph-Beyer's 20 points helped Sacred Heart defeat Division III-member Manhattanville 100-60 on Sunday. Ralph-Beyer also had five rebounds for the Pioneers (5-8, 1-1 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference). Anquan Hill scored 18 points and added seven rebounds. Griffin Barrouk had 16 points and went 5 of 8 from the field (4 for 7 from 3-point range). Andrew Saint-Louis led the Valiants in scoring, finishing with 26 points. John Ranaghan added 10 points for Manhattanville. Don Mays Jr. also had eight points. Sacred Heart hosts Canisius in its next matchup on Sunday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .ANOKA, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 25, 2024-- Vista Outdoor Inc. (“Vista Outdoor”, the “Company”) (NYSE: VSTO) today announced that its stockholders voted to approve the sale of The Kinetic Group to Czechoslovak Group a.s. (“CSG”) (the “CSG Transaction”) at its special meeting of stockholders held earlier today. Vista Outdoor and CSG have received all regulatory approvals required under the merger agreement for the CSG Transaction and intend to close the CSG Transaction on November 27, 2024. Under the terms of the CSG Transaction, Vista Outdoor stockholders will receive $25.75 in cash and one share of Revelyst common stock for each share of Vista Outdoor common stock they hold. “We are thrilled to have received overwhelming support from our stockholders for the compelling transaction with CSG,” said Michael Callahan, Chairman of the Vista Outdoor Board of Directors. “The CSG transaction maximizes value for our stockholders, while also providing an ideal home for our leading ammunition brands and significant opportunities for our employees.” Based on the vote count from the special meeting of stockholders, approximately 97.89% of votes cast were in favor of the CSG Transaction, representing approximately 82.57% of all outstanding shares. The final voting results will be reported in a Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Following the closing of the CSG Transaction, Revelyst will begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker “GEAR”. Subject to the receipt of necessary regulatory approvals and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions, funds managed by Strategic Value Partners, LLC (“SVP”) will subsequently acquire Revelyst in an all-cash transaction based on an enterprise value of $1.125 billion (the “SVP Transaction”), subject to a net cash adjustment. At the closing of the SVP Transaction, Revelyst stockholders will receive an estimated $19.25 in cash per share of Revelyst common stock 1. The SVP Transaction is on track to close by January 2025. No separate approval of the SVP Transaction by Vista Outdoor stockholders is required. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC is acting as sole financial adviser to Vista Outdoor and Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP is acting as legal adviser to Vista Outdoor. Moelis & Company LLC is acting as sole financial adviser to the independent directors of Vista Outdoor and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is acting as legal adviser to the independent directors of Vista Outdoor. About Vista Outdoor Inc. Vista Outdoor (NYSE: VSTO) is the parent company of more than three dozen renowned brands that design, manufacture and market sporting and outdoor products. Brands include Bushnell, CamelBak, Bushnell Golf, Foresight Sports, Fox Racing, Bell Helmets, Camp Chef, Giro, Simms Fishing, QuietKat, Stone Glacier, Federal Ammunition, Remington Ammunition and more. Our reporting segments, Outdoor Products and Sporting Products, provide consumers with a wide range of performance-driven, high-quality and innovative outdoor and sporting products. For news and information, visit our website at www.vistaoutdoor.com Forward-Looking Statements Some of the statements made and information contained in this press release, excluding historical information, are “forward-looking statements,” including those that discuss, among other things: Vista Outdoor Inc.’s (“Vista Outdoor”, “we”, “us” or “our”) plans, objectives, expectations, intentions, strategies, goals, outlook or other non-historical matters; projections with respect to future revenues, income, earnings per share or other financial measures for Vista Outdoor; and the assumptions that underlie these matters. The words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “aim,” “should” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. To the extent that any such information is forward-looking, it is intended to fit within the safe harbor for forward-looking information provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors could cause our actual results to differ materially from the expectations described in such forward-looking statements, including the following: risks related to the previously announced transaction among Vista Outdoor, Revelyst, Inc., CSG Elevate II Inc., CSG Elevate III Inc. and CZECHOSLOVAK GROUP a.s. (the “CSG Transaction”) and risks related to the previously announced transaction among Vista Outdoor, Revelyst, Olibre LLC and Cabin Ridge, Inc. (the “SVP Transaction”) including (i) the possibility that any or all of the various conditions to the consummation of the CSG Transaction or the SVP Transaction may not be satisfied or waived, including the failure to receive any required regulatory approvals from any applicable governmental entities (or any conditions, limitations or restrictions placed on such approvals), (ii) the possibility that competing offers or acquisition proposals may be made, (iii) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement relating to the CSG Transaction or the SVP Transaction, including in circumstances which would require Vista Outdoor or Revelyst, as applicable, to pay a termination fee, (iv) the effect of the announcement or pendency of the CSG Transaction or the SVP Transaction on our ability to attract, motivate or retain key executives and employees, our ability to maintain relationships with our customers, vendors, service providers and others with whom we do business, or our operating results and business generally, (v) risks related to the CSG Transaction or the SVP Transaction diverting management’s attention from our ongoing business operations, (vi) that the CSG Transaction or the SVP Transaction may not achieve some or all of any anticipated benefits with respect to either business segment and that the CSG Transaction or the SVP Transaction may not be completed in accordance with our expected plans or anticipated timelines, or at all, and (vii) that the consideration paid to Revelyst stockholders in connection with the SVP Transaction cannot be determined until the consummation of the SVP Transaction as it is subject to certain adjustments related to the net cash of Revelyst as of the closing of the SVP Transaction and the management team’s current estimate of the consideration may be higher or lower than the actual consideration paid to Revelyst stockholders in connection with the SVP Transaction due to the actual cash flows prior to the closing of the SVP Transaction or other factors; impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic on our operations, the operations of our customers and suppliers and general economic conditions; supplier capacity constraints, production or shipping disruptions or quality or price issues affecting our operating costs; the supply, availability and costs of raw materials and components; increases in commodity, energy, and production costs; seasonality and weather conditions; our ability to complete acquisitions, realize expected benefits from acquisitions and integrate acquired businesses; reductions in or unexpected changes in or our inability to accurately forecast demand for ammunition, accessories, or other outdoor sports and recreation products; disruption in the service or significant increase in the cost of our primary delivery and shipping services for our products and components or a significant disruption at shipping ports; risks associated with diversification into new international and commercial markets, including regulatory compliance; our ability to take advantage of growth opportunities in international and commercial markets; our ability to obtain and maintain licenses to third-party technology; our ability to attract and retain key personnel; disruptions caused by catastrophic events; risks associated with our sales to significant retail customers, including unexpected cancellations, delays, and other changes to purchase orders; our competitive environment; our ability to adapt our products to changes in technology, the marketplace and customer preferences, including our ability to respond to shifting preferences of the end consumer from brick and mortar retail to online retail; our ability to maintain and enhance brand recognition and reputation; our association with the firearms industry, others’ use of social media to disseminate negative commentary about us, our products, and boycotts; the outcome of contingencies, including with respect to litigation and other proceedings relating to intellectual property, product liability, warranty liability, personal injury, and environmental remediation; our ability to comply with extensive federal, state and international laws, rules and regulations; changes in laws, rules and regulations relating to our business, such as federal and state ammunition regulations; risks associated with cybersecurity and other industrial and physical security threats; interest rate risk; changes in the current tariff structures; changes in tax rules or pronouncements; capital market volatility and the availability of financing; our debt covenants may limit our ability to complete acquisitions, incur debt, make investments, sell assets, merge or complete other significant transactions; foreign currency exchange rates and fluctuations in those rates; general economic and business conditions in the United States and our markets outside the United States, including as a result of the war in Ukraine and the imposition of sanctions on Russia, the conflict in the Gaza strip, the COVID-19 pandemic or another pandemic, conditions affecting employment levels, consumer confidence and spending, conditions in the retail environment, and other economic conditions affecting demand for our products and the financial health of our customers. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements we make, which are based only on information currently available to us and speak only as of the date hereof. A more detailed description of risk factors that may affect our operating results can be found in Part 1, Item 1A, Risk Factors, of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal year 2024, and in the filings we make with the SEC from time to time. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as otherwise required by law. 1 Based on management estimates, including an assumption the SVP Transaction closes on December 31, 2024. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241125635762/en/ CONTACT: Investor: Tyler Lindwall Phone: 612-704-0147 Email:investor.relations@vistaoutdoor.comMedia: Eric Smith Phone: 720-772-0877 Email:media.relations@vistaoutdoor.com KEYWORD: MINNESOTA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: RETAIL OTHER CONSUMER CONSUMER OTHER RETAIL MANUFACTURING OTHER MANUFACTURING SOURCE: Vista Outdoor Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/25/2024 04:01 PM/DISC: 11/25/2024 04:01 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241125635762/en

Barclays PLC Has $1.36 Million Stake in International Money Express, Inc. (NASDAQ:IMXI)FORT SMITH, Ark., Nov. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rally House, a national sports apparel and merchandise retailer, officially opened their doors to their newest Arkansas storefront location on Friday, November 22 nd , with Rally House Fort Smith Pavilions. Rally House Fort Smith Pavilions is the company’s fourth new storefront to open in Arkansas this year, bringing their total store count in the state up to seven locations. Find Rally House in the Fort Smith Pavilions shopping center, between Michael’s and Best Buy. Rally House Fort Smith Pavilions helps fill the need of a premier, high-quality sports merchandise retailer in the Fort Smith area. This brick-and-mortar location will be home to a vast assortment of Arkansas Razorbacks merchandise but will also carry great products for other celebrated teams in the area including the Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, Texas Rangers, Arkansas State, and Central Arkansas, among others. The product selection Rally House Fort Smith Pavilions provides will be everchanging as the company is constantly restocking their shelves with the most popular gear and newest styles. “We are so excited to be open in Fort Smith and ready to help customers cross everyone off on their list for this holiday season,” says VP of Marketing Strategy, Aaron Johnson. “Rally House Fort Smith Pavilions is a great spot for us to open in, they have some of the most passionate fans in all of sports there and will be a convenient location for traveling fans to stop in on their way to Fayetteville from southern and western Arkansas,” added Johnson. Rally House Fort Smith Pavilions provides residents and visitors of the area a unique shopping experience with a wide selection of team products to browse in-store. Pairing alongside their officially licensed team merchandise, Rally House also carries locally inspired products and gifts celebrating area businesses, landmarks, and destinations. There is truly something for every fan at Rally House Fort Smith Pavilions. The staff at Rally House Fort Smith Pavilions is eager to assist customers and the company looks forward to further expanding their presence in the state of Arkansas. Customers are invited to visit Rally House Fort Smith Pavilions store page and follow the company on Instagram ( @rally_house ) and Facebook ( @RallyHouse ) for updates and current store information. About Rally House Rally House and Sampler Stores Inc. is a family-owned specialty boutique that offers a large selection of apparel, hats, gifts and home décor representing local NCAA, NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and MLS teams in addition to locally inspired apparel, gifts and food. Proudly based in Lenexa, Kansas, Rally House operates 275+ locations across 23 states. CONTACT: Aaron Johnson, VP of Marketing Strategy media@rallyhouse.com

A look at how some of Trump's picks to lead health agencies could help carry out Kennedy's overhaulMaharashtra Results 2024: AIMIM Clinches Malegaon Central Seat By Wafer-Thin Margin Of 162 Votes

Stocks 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.The Wishfield Journal event is in progress in Infinity Nikki , giving players a new way to gain some Resonance Crystals, which are used to get epic outfits and a fresh new Card background. The second day of this event is called Moments of Travel, and it’s photography-based. You’ll unlock the camera relatively early in the story after visiting the Wishing Tree in Florawish. After talking to the two children there, someone will snap your photo and give you a camera as a gift to thank you for allowing them to submit the picture to a magazine. Not only is this very generous of them, but it also unlocks the photo mode in-game, which is undeniably brilliant. How to complete Moments of Travel in Infinity Nikki To complete day two of the Wishfield Journal event, Moments of Travel, you’ll need to take four specific photos using your new camera, each with certain requirements. The easiest is “Catching the Sunshine”, which requires you to take a photo with the sun in the background. This can be done anywhere during the day as long as the light from the sun is present in the photo. The rest are more complicated, so let’s look at how to complete them. This is possibly the hardest one to figure out, and if you haven’t spent hours aimlessly exploring the map, there’s a high chance that you won’t have unlocked this area just yet. To find the Abandoned Fanatic Wisher Camp, you’ll need to venture far southwest of Florawish until you find a large peninsula sticking out to the west of the map, which is almost entirely taken up by the Camp itself: Unfortunately, there is no fast way to get to this location, especially if you’ve not unlocked any of the southern Warp Spires. You can speed up the process by hiring a Whimcycle, but even then, the journey will take you a while. Either way, make sure to activate any Warp Spires that you come across along the way. Be warned, the entire camp is filled with Esselings to take out, including some with shields that you’ll need to attack from behind. When you’ve dealt with them, you’ll be able to locate the cavern needed for this objective. Don’t waste time looking for an arch in the rock; it’s actually a hole in the ground that you need to find, and I’ve marked the location on the map below: When you’ve jumped down the hole, venture further down the path, and take a picture of the space inside, you’ll be able to check off this objective and get your reward. Thankfully, the Swan Gazebo is substantially easier to find than the hidden cavern for the previous quest. If you have unlocked the Bug Catcher’s Cabin Warp Spire, you can head there and go east. Otherwise, you’re still in for a bit of a trek. The Swan Gazebo can be found on the circular platform on the eastern shore, just south of the Fishing Association that you visited during day one’s Whimstar Collection objectives, flanked by two small peninsulas to the north and south, as shown on the map below: You can be in this photo or not, but it’s a very scenic spot to take some shots and get to grips with everything that can be done with the photo mode in Infinity Nikki. You should have unlocked the Dream Warehouse Warp Spire by this point, especially if you’ve completed day one’s Whimstar Collec tion objectives. However, if you haven’t, the Dream Warehouse can be found to the north of Florawish town. It is the tallest of the three buildings, which poses the problem of getting up to the roof. To get up there, you’ll need to carefully use the ruins to the right of the tower itself to gradually climb higher. This can get frustrating, but keep at it, and you’ll eventually reach the Dream Warehouse Rooftop Warp Spire. This is as high as you need to go to tick off this objective and complete day two of the Wishfield Journal event.7788bet 。

Michail Antonio had video call with West Ham team before their win over WolvesLast December came the completion of four full decades of trying to Change The Culture, or to at least Stop The Bleeding, and this column takes not even a quantum of solace in the fact that those things are difficult while Battling The Injury Bug, so At The End Of The Day, we failed to Take Care Of Business, much less Impose Our Will on the indomitable forces that make sports coverage a perpetual black forest of clichés. Or something. In other words — and this whole misbegotten effort has been one long doomed experiment in encouraging the search for other words — you've stumbled upon the 41st annual rendering of the Trite Trophy, which dishonors the worst cliché of the year in sports, and sometimes beyond. If that sounds to those still reading like some incorrigible stupidity, we like to think of it around here as a vaguely charming stick-to-itiveness, a construction so favored by Penguins coach Mike Sullivan that on this there is widespread agreement: Ain't no stick-to-itiveness like Mike Sullivan stick-to-itiveness when it comes to stick-to-itiveness. The baddest cliché slingers in sports history all share a certain stick-to-itiveness, something I discovered recently while wobbling into an MLB Network feature on the 1968 World Series between Detroit and St. Louis. Even 56 years in the rear view, the raw audio of the era included the observations that the Tigers, down three games to one, Have Their Backs To The Wall because There Is No Tomorrow, and worse, had Put All Their Eggs In One Basket by going with Mickey Lolich in Game 5. Thinking Outside The Box before that cliché was even invented, they put the very same eggs in the same Lolich container three days later and wound up absconding with All The Marbles. Fast-forward 56 years, and Mike Tomlin is still talking marbles, describing on his pregame show this week a situation when "all the marbles are on the table." I'm not sure playing marbles on a table is optimal, even in a Hostile Environment, but Mike, You Do You. Once they're in the bloodstream, sports clichés never go away. As we've learned so painfully about our linguistic and etymological habits, It Is What It Is, even if that's the stupidest cliché of all time, in or out of sports, and as such the only two-time winner of the Trite Trophy. Could we see a Three-Peat? In a column about cliché avoidance? Nope. Not with sports constantly mainlining updated nonsense that seems to calcify into cliché status almost overnight, much in the way baseball has elevated High Leverage Situation to a spot where commentators seem compelled to use it any time anything might actually, you know, happen. This is anathema to baseball, seems to me, as the beauty of it is that you can lose a game on the first pitch. While I'm at it, RIP Rickey Henderson, who hit 81 homers as his team's first batter of the game, which does not seem low leverage in any way. BTW, do the game's best hitters still Rake? Because I'm hearing about a lot of guys who Mash. Pitchers who keep wandering into those High Leverage Situations risk throwing something that Caught Too Much Of The Plate, resulting in a bat catching too much of the ball, triggering a Go Ball with some frightening Exit Velocity. As former Pirates great Steve Blass likes to tell fans, the only time he thinks of Exit Velocity is when he's on the toilet. Lest anyone stand accused of Saying The Quiet Part Out Loud, the Trite Trophy Committee (me) acknowledges a bias toward football with the annual award, but only in the way that Oscars tend to favor the more recently released films. Baseball's myriad clichés and those from the other sports just aren't as annoying In The Moment, or just aren't Clicking On All Cylinders. You really don't want your cylinders to be clicking, anyway, so the persistence of that reflex Defies Logic. Further, football suffers no shortage of commentators trying to Force The Issue, as when Matt Millen this fall praised Penn State running back Kaytron Allen for "running behind his pads." Hard to run out in front of them, but I took this to mean Allen was Getting Downhill, which I'm told is what you want to do even though every football field looks flat as a puddle to me. For spontaneous invention of fresh football terminology, few can match the sheer creativity, if not Sheer Athleticism, of the great Steelers radio color man Craig Wolfley. Describing a play on which linebacker Mark Robinson forced a fumble against the Ravens, Wolf called Robinson "twitchier than a sneeze" and always ready to pounce, "like a cat in a rat factory." There's a rat factory? Wolf also said that a run by Najee Harris was the result of "pure ham-hock strength and lower-back leverage." See? A Low Leverage Situation. We've somehow reached the point in the big show when we award the annual Mixologist Medal, which goes to the person who inadvertently started dealing one cliché but finished another, as when Hines Ward once said, "they'll have their hands cut out for them," or "you have to take off your hat and hand it to them." Steelers analyst Chris Hoke was a nominee this year for saying Mason Rudolph got "the raw end of the stick," not to be confused with the short end of the deal, and former Pirates pitcher Jeff Karstens countered with the observation that Paul Skenes "has a big enough name that he'll put seats in the stands." But the medal goes reluctantly to Fox analyst Tom Brady. Though the mix was perhaps minimal, Brady managed to put two sleepy clichés back to back with his observation that the Ravens are "absolute sleeping giants," as opposed to the hypothetical sleeping giants, and that "you can't sleep on this team." So congrats to the GOAT, even as he's putting me to sleep. That Guy Is A Dog emerged as a cliché this football season, as well as That Guy Is A Problem, a fresher version of You've Got To Account For Him. Don't much know what to make of all that, except it reminds me of something I once heard in the neighborhood: That Guy Has A Dog Who Is A Problem! I'd tell you confidently that no such cliché holds a chance against Iconic, but Iconic has itself become such a cliché that All Bets Are Off. Iconic, just in this year, attached itself to everything from ice balls to sandwiches to space telescopes, just about everything but icons. Just saying that maybe we want to Tap The Brakes on Iconic is all. Same goes for You Can't Say Enough About whom or whatever, even as the person speaking is trying his damnedest to say enough about whom or whatever. We're approaching the moment just about no one has been waiting for, so before we introduce our 2024 finalists and the cliché that will take the whole nine-yard ball of wax, we acknowledge a few annoyances that were In The Discussion. What the heck is a Rising Junior anyway? Someone who is going to be a junior in college at some point, if you can find him In The Portal? At that stage of life, I remembering being more a floundering sophomore than a Rising Junior. No consideration was given to Moonball, a long pass from Russell Wilson apparently, even if the Steelers quarterback has been quite forthcoming on its backstory. His deep accuracy has earned the praise of coach Tomlin: "He can drop it into your right front shirt pocket, if you will," to quote the HC. I will, but most shirt pockets are on the left, and no football jerseys have pockets, which you know because guys would be whipping cell phones out of those Early And Often. Now a very Special Shout Out to all of the horrid clichés in our live audience here at Stage TT (snort) and especially to some our past winners. Great to see you Shy Of The First Down, Short Of The Line To Gain, Goin' Up Top (never down bottom), Put This Team On His Back, Extend The Play With His Legs, Create Plays With His Legs, Slow To Get Up (like me), Overcoming Adversity, Look In The Mirror, 50-50 Ball, That Thing Parted Like The Red Sea, That's Gonna Get Called Every Time, Red Zone, Crunch Time, Gut Check, He Went To The Well Once Too Often, Smash-mouth Football, Manage The Game, and Don't You Dare Tell Me I Forgot One Because I Simply Lack The Time And Space Besides If I Could Forget Even One I Wouldn't Have Been Doing This For 41 Years! Here are our finalists, beginning with our second runner-up: Late Hands. One of the freshest clichés of 2024, Late Hands is getting invoked with burgeoning frequency as a way to explain that a pass catcher needn't indicate to his defender with his hands or arms that a football is on the way. He should instead use Late Hands. Hey, I Get It. The first runner-up: Climb The Pocket. This inane construction (formerly Step Up In The Pocket) was an Absolute Beast in 2024 but remains perfectly useless except perhaps as a salve for the football commentators' obsession with Getting Vertical, which is way more critical in basketball. Our winner — and as ever, don't go on the field at the conclusion of the Trite Trophy column — is Pulling Out All The Stops, a cliché so ancient and doggedly undecorated we couldn't bear to see it On The Outside Looking In any longer. It's as ubiquitous today as when it was created in the late 15th century, when stops were first employed on pipe organs, even if they were not in the original game plan of offensive coordinator Ctesibius of Alexandria, who invented pipe organs a few millennia earlier. Teams are still Pulling Out All The Stops, which I gather means making every possible effort and calling on all resources, though it's literally from the Greek meaning Geez That Organ Is Loud! Happy New Year, everybody. OBLIGATORY LIST OF PAST WINNERS 2023: Stay on schedule 2022: The emotional roller coaster 2021: The COVID list 2020: Out Oo an abundance of caution 2019: Not his first rodeo 2018: RPO 2017: High point the football 2016: In the protocol 2015: Next man up 2014: Shy of the first down 2013: Going forward 2012: Take a shot down the field 2011: Are you kidding me? 2010: At the end of the day 2009: Dial up a blitz 2008: Manage the game 2007: They're very physical 2006: It is what it is 2005: It is what it is 2004: Shutdown corner 2003: Cover 2 2002: Running downhill 2001: Put points on the scoreboard 2000: Walk-off homer 1999: Somebody's gotta step up 1998: Eight men in the box 1997: Show me the money 1996: Been there, done that 1995: West Coast offense 1994: Red zone 1993: It hasn't sunk in yet 1992: Mentality of a linebacker 1991: You don't have to be a rocket scientist 1990: Smash-mouth football 1989: He coughs it up 1988: They went to the well once too often 1987: Gut check 1986: Crunch time 1985: Throwback 1984: Play 'em one game at a time ©2024 PG Publishing Co. Visit at post-gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Whitesboro must hold Somers in check to win it allEarlier today, Kendrick Lamar shocked the world by dropping his new album GNX with absolutely no notice. The release followed months of rumors that he had a new project on the way. So far, social media users aren't disappointed. As reactions continue to roll in, listeners are taking note of any particularly interesting references. This includes a few on the opening track, "wacced out murals." In the second verse, Kendrick appears to call out Lil Wayne and others for their reaction to him securing a headlining slot at the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show. This was announced back in September and quickly sparked outrage among hip-hop fans and artists. Many felt as though the opportunity should have gone to Lil Wayne, a pioneer of the genre who's from New Orleans, where the event will take place. Weezy himself even hopped online amid the backlash to address the apparent snub, admitting that he was hurt by it. “That hurt, it hurt a lot ... I thought there was nothing better than that spot, on that stage, on that platform," he said at the time. Read More: Kendrick Lamar Recalls Snoop Dogg Supporting Drake’s “Taylor Made Freestyle” On New Album It looks like Kendrick is feeling a bit slighted himself, however. In his song, he recalls supporting Lil Wayne and expresses disappointment that it's not been reciprocated. “I used to bump Tha Carter 3 , I held my Rollie chain proud / Irony , I think my hard work let Lil Wayne down,” he raps. “Got the Super Bowl and Nas the only one congratulate me, all these n***** agitated I’m just glad it’s on they faces." Lil Wayne isn't the only one Kendrick calls out in the track, however. He also recalls Snoop Dogg posting Drake 's infamous AI diss, "Taylor Made Freestyle," on his Instagram Story shortly after it was released. He seemed let down by that too, claiming that he couldn't believe it and hoped it was just "the edibles." Read More: Kendrick Lamar Fans Can't Believe They Have A Whole New Surprise Album In Their Hands [Via]

Stock market today: Wall Street gains ground as it notches a winning week and another Dow record

TORONTO -- Canadian officials on Tuesday blasted President-elect Donald's Trump's threat to impose sweeping tariffs , as the leader of the country's most populous province called Trump's comparison of Canada to Mexico “the most insulting thing I’ve ever heard.” Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on products from Canada, Mexico and China as soon as he takes office in January as part of efforts to crack down on illegal immigration and drugs. He said he would impose a 25% tax on all products entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico as one of his first executive orders. “To compare us to Mexico is the most insulting thing I’ve ever heard from our friends and closest allies, the United States of America," Ontario Premier Doug Ford said. “I found his comments unfair. I found them insulting. It’s like a family member stabbing you right in the heart." Ford said Canada will have no choice but to retaliate. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will convene an emergency meeting with provincial leaders on Wednesday. The Canadian dollar weakened sharply in foreign exchange markets. Trudeau said he spoke with Trump after his threat of tariffs. “We talked about the intense and effective connections between our countries that flow back and forth. We talked about some of the challenges that we can work on together. It was a good call,” Trudeau said. Trump made the threat Monday while railing against an influx of illegal migrants, even though apprehensions at the southern U.S. border have been near four-year lows. Apprehension numbers at the Canadian border pale in comparison. “We shouldn’t confuse the Mexican border with the Canadian border,” Canadian Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne said. The U.S. Border Patrol made 56,530 arrests at the Mexican border in October — and 23,721 arrests at the Canadian one between October 2023 and September 2024. "It’s the equivalent to a significant weekend at the Mexico border,” Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller said, adding that Canada is considering a number of border measures including additional resources. Quebec Premier François Legault acknowledged that the issue along the Mexican border is far worse but called Trump's concerns legitimate, citing a recent increase in illegal immigrants entering the U.S. from Canada. “A 25% tariff would mean tens of thousands of jobs lost,” Legault said. “We cannot start a war. We have to do everything we can to not have these tariffs." Canada is one of the most trade-dependent countries in the world, and 77% of Canada’s exports go to the U.S. Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian (US$2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85% of U.S. electricity imports are from Canada. Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is investing in for national security. “The fact is, we need them and they also need us,” Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said. “Canada is the largest market for the U.S in the world, larger than China, Japan, the U.K. and France combined. It is also the case that the things we sell to the United States are the things they really need." When Trump imposed higher tariffs during his first term, countries responded with retaliatory tariffs. Canada announced billions of dollars in new duties in 2018 in response to new U.S. taxes on Canadian steel and aluminum. Many of the U.S. products were chosen for their political rather than economic impact. For example, Canada imports $3 million worth of yogurt from the U.S. annually and most comes from one plant in Wisconsin, home state of then-House Speaker Paul Ryan. That product was hit with a 10% duty. Now, again, Canadians are particularly worried about auto tariffs. The North American auto industry is highly integrated, and parts made in Canada often go to cars manufactured in the U.S. and sold back to Canadians. “To try and undo it with a tariff would be like trying to separate the yolks from the whites in a omelet. You cannot,” said Flavio Volpe, president of Canada's Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association. “You cannot hurt Canadian automotive without immediately hurting American automotive." The tariffs would also throw into doubt the reliability of the 2020 trade deal brokered in large part by Trump with Canada and Mexico that replaced NAFTA. It is up for review in 2026.Kirk Herbstreit is the king of college football. While he received flak from Florida State fans last year, he's universally loved by pretty much every other college football fanbase in the country. Herbie has a penchant for hyping up players and teams delivering their best - like he did with Florida just last weekend. "No idea if @GatorsFB is gonna end up winning this game today but damn is it impressive to watch this team play with energy. Have faced a lot of adversity and sitting at 4-5 easy to see teams lose their focus and drive. NOT the Gators. Kudos to Billy Napier, his staff, snd especially these players for BRINGIN IT! Great sign of the culture in Gainesville!" Herbie said on social media . Sara Diggins/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images He's also the face of ESPN's "College GameDay" which is headed to his alma mater on Saturday morning. Last weekend ESPN announced it was headed to the top-five showdown between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 5 Indiana - where a berth in the College Football Playoff could be on the line. Ahead of the massive showdown, "College GameDay" released its weekly announcement revealing details about the show, including guest picker Justin Fields. To that, Herbie had a short reaction showing he can't wait for the show to start. "See ya tomorrow. Can’t wait!" Herbstreit said. See ya tomorrow. Can’t wait! https://t.co/wLEh6dkzxJ In the announcement, ESPN revealed "College GameDay" is on pace for its best season ever. "College GameDay remains on pace for its best season ever averaging 2.1 million viewers. Last weekend at Georgia, the show averaged two million viewers with 2.6 million final-hour viewers and peak viewership scoring 2.9 million viewers," the statement read. A top-five showdown between Indiana and Ohio State won't hurt those ratings. The Buckeyes have one of the most impressive fanbases in college football and the Hoosiers are a program on the rise under head coach Curt Cignetti. Ohio State and Indiana kick off at 12:00 p.m. ET on FOX. Related: Paul Finebaum Thinks Top 5 Team Should Be Eliminated From Playoff With Loss This WeekendNASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Scottie Scheffler brought a new putting grip to the Hero World Challenge and felt enough improvement to be satisfied with the result, a 5-under 67 that left him three shots behind Cameron Young on Thursday. Young was playing for the first time since the BMW Championship more than three months ago and found great success on and around the greens of Albany Golf Club, chipping beautifully and holing four birdie putts from 15 feet or longer for his 64. He led by two shots over Justin Thomas in his first competition since his daughter was born a few weeks ago. Thomas ran off four straight birdies late in his round and was a fraction of an inch away with a fifth. The big surprise was Scheffler, the No. 1 player in golf who looked as good as he has all year in compiling eight victories, including an Olympic gold medal. His iron play has no equal. His putting at times has kept him from winning more or winning bigger. He decided to try to a “saw” putting grip from about 20 feet or closer — the putter rests between his right thumb and his fingers, with his left index finger pointed down the shaft. “I’m always looking for ways to improve,” Scheffler said. Scheffler last year began working with renowned putting instructor Phil Kenyon, and he says Kenyon mentioned the alternative putting grip back then. “But it was really our first time working together and it’s something that’s different than what I’ve done in the past,” Scheffler said. “This year I had thought about it from time to time, and it was something that we had just said let’s table that for the end of the season, take a look at it. “Figured this is a good week to try stuff.” He opened with a wedge to 2 feet and he missed a 7-foot birdie putt on the par-5 third. But he holed a birdie from about the same distance at the next par 5, No. 6, and holed a sliding 6-footer on the ninth to save par. His longest putt was his last hole, from 12 feet for a closing birdie. “I really enjoyed the way it felt,” he said. “I felt like I’m seeing some improvements in my stroke.” Young, regarded as the best active player without a PGA Tour victory, is treating this holiday tournament as the start of a new season. He worked on getting stronger and got back to the basics in his powerful golf swing. And on this day, he was dialed in with his short game. He only struggled to save par twice and kept piling up birdies in his bogey-free round on an ideal day in the Bahamas. “The wind wasn’t blowing much so it was relatively stress-free,” Young said. Patrick Cantlay, along with Scheffler playing for the first time since the Presidents Cup, also was at 67 with Ludvig Aberg, Akshay Bhatia and Sahith Theegala. Thomas also took this occasion to do a little experimenting against a 20-man field. He has using a 46-inch driver at home — a little more than an inch longer than his regular driver — in a bid to gain more speed. On a day with little wind, on a golf course with some room off the tee, he decided to put it in play. “Just with it being a little bit longer, I just kind of have to get the club out in front of me and get on top of it a little bit more,” Thomas said. “I drove the hell out of it on the back, so that was nice to try something different and have it go a little bit better on the back.” Thomas said the longer driver gives him 2 or 3 mph in ball speed and 10 extra yards in the air. “It’s very specific for courses, but gave it a try,” he said. Conditions were easy enough that only four players in field failed to break par, with Jason Day bringing up the rear with a 75. AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

New laws going into effect in California in 2025Harris Adviser on Liz Cheney Alliance: ‘This Political Environment Sucked, OK?’

He is not yet in power but President-elect Donald Trump rattled much of the world with an off-hours warning of stiff tariffs on close allies and China — a loud hint that Trump-style government by social media post is coming back. With word of these levies against goods imported from Mexico, Canada and China, Trump sent auto industry stocks plummeting, raised fears for global supply chains and unnerved the world’s major economies. For Washington-watchers with memories of the Republican’s first term, the impromptu policy volley on Monday evening foreshadowed a second term of startling announcements of all manner, fired off at all hours of the day from his smartphone. “Donald Trump is never going to change much of anything,” said Larry Sabato, a leading US political scientist and director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics. “You can expect in the second term pretty much what he showed us about himself and his methods in the first term. Social media announcements of policy, hirings and firings will continue.” The first of Trump’s tariff announcements — a 25 percent levy on everything coming in from Mexico and Canada — came amid an angry rebuke of lax border security at 6:45 pm on Truth Social, Trump’s own platform. The United States is bound by agreements on the movement of goods and services brokered by Trump in a free trade treaty with both nations during his first term. But Trump warned that the new levy would “remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country” — sowing panic from Ottawa to Mexico City. Seconds later, another message from the incoming commander-in-chief turned the focus on Chinese imports, which he said would be hit with “an additional 10% Tariff, above any additional Tariffs.” The consequences were immediate. Almost every major US automaker operates plants in Mexico, and shares in General Motors and Stellantis — which produce pickup trucks in America’s southern neighbor — plummeted. Canada, China and Mexico protested, while Germany called on its European partners to prepare for Trump to impose hefty tariffs on their exports and stick together to combat such measures. – Framing the debate – The tumult recalls Trump’s first term, when journalists, business leaders and politicians at home and abroad would scan their phones for the latest pronouncements, often long after they had left the office or over breakfast. During his first four years in the Oval Office, the tweet — in those days his newsy posts were almost exclusively limited to Twitter, now known as X — became the quasi-official gazette for administration policy. The public learned of the president-elect’s 2020 Covid-19 diagnosis via an early-hours post, and when Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander Qasem Soleimani was assassinated on Trump’s order, the Republican confirmed the kill by tweeting a US flag. The public and media learned of numerous other decisions big and small by the same source, from the introduction of customs duties to the dismissal of cabinet secretaries. It is not a communication method that has been favored by any previous US administration and runs counter to the policies and practices of most governments around the world. Throughout his third White House campaign, and with every twist and turn in his various entanglements with the justice system, Trump has poured his heart out on Truth Social, an app he turned to during his 20-month ban from Twitter. In recent days, the mercurial Republican has even named his attorney general secretaries of justice and health via announcements on the network. “He sees social media as a tool to shape and direct the national conversation and will do so again,” said political scientist Julian Zelizer, a Princeton University professor. With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.

Two-thirds of Wild's top line back together with Eriksson Ek’s returnAs part of a national “moonshot” to cure blindness, researchers at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus will receive as much as $46 million in federal funding over the next five years to pursue a first-of-its-kind full eye transplantation. “This is no easy undertaking, but I believe we can achieve this together,” said Dr. Kia Washington, the lead researcher for the University of Colorado-led team, during a press conference Monday. “And in fact I’ve never been more hopeful that a cure for blindness is within reach.” The CU team was one of four in the United States that received funding awards from the federal Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health , or ARPA-H. The CU-based group will focus on achieving the first-ever vision-restoring eye transplant by using “novel stem cell and bioelectronic technologies,” according to a news release announcing the funding. The work will be interdisciplinary, Washington and others said, and will link together researchers at institutions across the country. The four teams that received the funding will work alongside each other on distinct approaches, though officials said the teams would likely collaborate and eventually may merge depending on which research avenues show the most promise toward achieving the ultimate goal of transplanting an eye and curing blindness. Dr. Calvin Roberts, who will oversee the broader project for ARPA-H, said the agency wanted to take multiple “shots on goal” to ensure progress. “In the broader picture, achieving this would be probably the most monumental task in medicine within the last several decades,” said Dr. Daniel Pelaez of the University of Miami’s Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, which also received ARPA-H funding. Pelaez is the lead investigator for that team, which has pursued new procedures to successfully remove and preserve eyes from donors, amid other research. He told The Denver Post that only four organ systems have not been successfully transplanted: the inner ear, the brain, the spinal cord and the eye. All four are part of the central nervous system, which does not repair itself when damaged. If researchers can successfully transplant the human eye and restore vision to the patient, it might help unlock deeper discoveries about repairing damage to the brain and spine, Pelaez said, as well as addressing hearing loss. To succeed, researchers must successfully remove and preserve eyes from donors and then successfully connect and repair the optical nerve, which takes information from the eye and tells the brain what the eye sees. A team at New York University performed a full eye transplant on a human patient in November 2023, though the procedure — while a “remarkable achievement,” Pelaez said — did not restore the patient’s vision. It was also part of a partial face transplant; other approaches pursued via the ARPA-H funding will involve eye-specific transplants. Washington, the lead CU researcher, said she and her colleagues have already completed the eye transplant procedure — albeit without vision restoration — in rats. The CU team will next work on large animals to advance “optic nerve regenerative strategies,” the school said, as well as to study immunosuppression, which is critical to ensuring that patients’ immune systems don’t reject a donated organ. The goal is to eventually advance to human trials. Pelaez and his colleagues have completed their eye-removal procedure in cadavers, he said, and they’ve also studied regeneration in several animals that are capable of regenerating parts of their eyes, like salamanders or zebra fish. His team’s funding will focus in part on a life-support machine for the eye to keep it healthy and viable during the removal process. InGel Therapeutics, a Massachusetts-based Harvard spinoff and the lead of a third team, will pursue research on 3-D printed technology and “micro-tunneled scaffolds” that carry certain types of stem cells as part of a focus on optical nerve regeneration and repair, ARPA-H said. ARPH-A, created two years ago, will oversee the teams’ work. Researchers at 52 institutions nationwide will also contribute to the teams. The CU-led group will include researchers from the University of Southern California, the University of Wisconsin, Indiana University and Johns Hopkins University, as well as from the National Eye Institute . The teams will simultaneously compete and collaborate: Pelaez said his team has communicated with researchers at CU and at Stanford, another award recipient, about their eye-removal research. The total funding available for the teams is $125 million, ARPA-H officials said Monday, and it will be distributed in phases, in part dependent on teams’ success. U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, a Democrat who represents Denver in Congress, acknowledged the recent election results at the press conference Monday and pledged to continue fighting to preserve ARPA-H’s funding under President-elect Donald Trump’s administration. The effort to cure blindness, Washington joked, was “biblical” in its enormity — a reference to the Bible story in which Jesus cures a blind man. She and others also likened it to a moonshot, meaning the effort to successfully put Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon nearly 50 years ago. If curing blindness is similar to landing on the moon, then the space shuttle has already left the launchpad, Washington said. “We have launched,” she said, “and we are on our trajectory.”

Cherry vape helped MP quit smoking amid warning Bill could ‘go too far’Jimmy Carter, the self-effacing peanut farmer, humanitarian and former navy lieutenant who helped Canada avert a nuclear catastrophe before ascending to the highest political office in the United States, died Sunday at his home in Georgia. He was 100, making him the longest-lived U.S. president in American history. Concern for Carter's health had become a recurring theme in recent years. He was successfully treated for brain cancer in 2015, then suffered a number of falls, including one in 2019 that resulted in a broken hip. Alarm spiked in February 2023, however, when the Carter Center — the philanthropic organization he and his wife Rosalynn founded in 1982 — announced he would enter hospice care at his modest, three-bedroom house in Plains, Ga. Rosalynn Carter, a mental health advocate whose role as presidential spouse helped to define the modern first lady, predeceased her husband in November 2023 — a death at 96 that triggered a remembrance to rival his. "Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished," the former president said in a statement after she died. "As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me." Conventional wisdom saw his single White House term as middling. But Carter's altruistic work ethic, faith-filled benevolence and famous disdain for the financial trappings of high office only endeared him to generations after he left politics in 1981. "The trite phrase has been, 'Jimmy Carter has been the best former president in the history of the United States,'" said Gordon Giffin, a former U.S. ambassador to Canada who sits on the Carter Center's board of trustees. "That grated on him, because it distinguished his service as president from his service — and I literally mean service — as a former president." His relentless advocacy for human rights, a term Carter popularized long before it became part of the political lexicon, included helping to build homes for the poor across the U.S. and in 14 other countries, including Canada, well into his 90s. He devoted the resources of the Carter Center to tackling Guinea worm, a parasite that afflicted an estimated 3.5 million people in the developing world in the early 1980s and is today all but eradicated, with just 13 cases reported in 2022. And he was a tireless champion of ending armed conflict and promoting democratic elections in the wake of the Cold War, with his centre monitoring 113 such votes in 39 different countries — and offering conflict-resolution expertise when democracy receded. Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, nearly a quarter-century after his seminal work on the Camp David Accords helped pave the way for a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt in 1979, the first of its kind. "His presidency got sidelined in the historic evaluation too quickly, and now people are revisiting it," Giffin said. "I think his standing in history as president will grow." A lifelong Democrat who never officially visited Canada as president, Carter was nonetheless a pioneer of sorts when it came to Canada-U.S. relations and a close friend to the two Canadian prime ministers he served alongside. One of them, former Progressive Conservative leader Joe Clark, once called Carter a "pretty good Canadian" — a testament to the former commander-in-chief's authenticity and centre-left politics, which always resonated north of the Canada-U.S. border. The pair were reunited in 2017 at a panel discussion in Atlanta hosted by the Canadian American Business Council, and seemed to delight in teasing the host when she described Clark as a "conservative" and Carter as a "progressive." "I'm a Progressive Conservative — that's very important," Clark corrected her. Piped up Carter: "I'm a conservative progressive." In 2012, the Carters visited Kingston, Ont., to receive an honorary degree from Queen's University. Instead of a fancy hotel, they stayed with Arthur Milnes, a former speech writer, journalist and political scholar who'd long since become a close friend. "He became my hero, believe it or not, probably when I was about 12," said Milnes, whose parents had come of age during the Cold War and lived in perpetual fear of the ever-present nuclear threat until Carter took over the White House in 1977. "My mother never discussed politics, with one exception — and that was when Jimmy Carter was in the White House. She'd say, 'Art, Jimmy Carter is a good and decent man,'" Milnes recalled. "They always said, both of them, that for the first time since the 1950s, they felt safe, knowing that it was this special man from rural Georgia, Jimmy Carter, who had his finger on the proverbial button." While Richard Nixon and Pierre Trudeau appeared to share a mutual antipathy during their shared time in office, Carter got along famously with the prime minister. Indeed, it was at the express request of the Trudeau family that Carter attended the former prime minister's funeral in 2000, Giffin said. "The message I got back was the family would appreciate it if Jimmy Carter could come," said Giffin, who was the U.S. envoy in Ottawa at the time. "So he did come. He was at the Trudeau funeral. And to me, that said a lot about not only the relationship he had with Trudeau, but the relationship he had in the Canada-U.S. dynamic." It was at that funeral in Montreal that Carter — "much to my frustration," Giffin allowed — spent more than two hours in a holding room with Cuban leader Fidel Castro, a meeting that resulted in Carter visiting Cuba in 2002, the first former president to do so. But it was long before Carter ever entered politics that he established a permanent bond with Canada — one forged in the radioactive aftermath of what might otherwise have become the country's worst nuclear calamity. In 1952, Carter was a 28-year-old U.S. navy lieutenant, a submariner with a budding expertise in nuclear power, when he and his crew were dispatched to help control a partial meltdown at the experimental Chalk River Laboratories northwest of Ottawa. In his 2016 book "A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety," Carter described working in teams of three, first practising on a mock-up of the reactor, then on the real thing, in short 90-second bursts to avoid absorbing more than the maximum allowable dose of radiation. "The limit on radiation absorption in the early 1950s was approximately 1,000 times higher than it is 60 years later," he wrote. "There were a lot of jokes about the effects of radioactivity, mostly about the prospect of being sterilized, and we had to monitor our urine until all our bodies returned to the normal range." That, Carter would later acknowledge in interviews, took him about six months. Carter and Clark were both in office during the so-called "Canadian Caper," a top-secret operation to spirit a group of U.S. diplomats out of Iran following the fall of the U.S. embassy in Tehran in 1979. The elaborate ploy, which involved passing the group off as a Canadian science-fiction film crew, was documented in the Oscar-winning 2012 Ben Affleck film "Argo." Carter didn't think much of the film. "The movie that was made, 'Argo,' was very distorted. They hardly mentioned the Canadian role in this very heroic, courageous event," he said during the CABC event. He described the true events of that escapade as "one of the greatest examples of a personal application of national friendship I have ever known." To the end, Carter was an innately humble and understated man, said Giffin — a rare commodity in any world leader, much less in one from the United States. "People underestimate who Jimmy Carter is because he leads with his humanity," he said. "I read an account the other day that said the Secret Service vehicles that are parked outside his house are worth more than the house. How many former presidents have done that?" This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec, 29, 2024. James McCarten, The Canadian Press

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The Minnesota Timberwolves could probably benefit from a holiday break to address the many issues that have led to the team's disappointing 14-14 start. Instead, the Wolves are set to play in front of a national TV audience when they visit the surging Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. Minnesota dropped its third straight game on Monday in a 117-104 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. The Wolves will look to regroup against the Mavericks, who beat the Portland Trail Blazers 132-108 on Monday for their 14th win in their last 17 games. Minnesota has failed to score 110 points in regulation in 14 straight games and struggled from the start in Monday's loss to Atlanta. The Wolves fell behind 27-9 to begin the game and never recovered. "We couldn't finish around the rim again, turned it over at a high level to start the game, got down," Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. "We start the fourth, and it just became a shot-making contest. We missed about five wide-open shots, and they made theirs at the other end of the floor, and then turnovers hurt us late." Naz Reid scored 23 points off the bench and Julius Randle added 19 to go along with 13 rebounds in the loss to the Hawks. Even with proven scorers such as Anthony Edwards and Randle, the Wolves are 23rd in the NBA with 109.3 points per game. Following Monday's loss, Randle was asked how the Wolves could improve on the offensive end. "To be honest, man, I don't know," Randle said. "That's about as honest as an answer I can give you. I can tell you what's working sometimes. Like when we're playing with pace, moving, all that stuff. We've just got to do it more consistent than that, but I don't know, man." Minnesota is looking to avenge a 120-114 home loss in its first meeting this season against Dallas on Oct. 29. Edwards scored 37 points for the Wolves, while Kyrie Irving led the Mavericks with 35. While Minnesota is playing below expectations, Dallas is in fourth place in the Western Conference race and owns a 10-4 mark at home this season. "We're in a good seat, but still a long way to go," Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. "A lot of basketball to be played for us to get better. We believe we've done pretty well of late. But we can't relax. The West is too tough. We're not satisfied yet." Dallas star Luka Doncic returned after missing two games with a left heel contusion and scored 27 points in Monday's win over Portland. Doncic is averaging 24.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.4 assists in 16 career games against Minnesota. The Mavericks also received a spark against Portland from center Daniel Gafford, who finished with 23 points off the bench on 7-of-7 shooting from the field and 9-of-14 from the foul line. "I feel like I'm on top of the world," Gafford said. "I'm like a kid in a candy score, especially when I get an opportunity to score and get an and-one. It gives me a chance to yell and get the blood flowing, too." Dallas guard Klay Thompson enters Wednesday's contest just two 3-pointers away from passing Reggie Miller (2,560) for fifth on the NBA's all-time career 3-pointers list. --Field Level MediaPLAINS, Ga. (AP) — Newly married and sworn as a Naval officer, Jimmy Carter left his tiny hometown in 1946 hoping to climb the ranks and see the world. Less than a decade later, the death of his father and namesake, a merchant farmer and local politician who went by “Mr. Earl,” prompted the submariner and his wife, Rosalynn, to return to the rural life of Plains, Georgia, they thought they’d escaped. The lieutenant never would be an admiral. Instead, he became commander in chief. Years after his presidency ended in humbling defeat, he would add a Nobel Peace Prize, awarded not for his White House accomplishments but “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” The life of James Earl Carter Jr., the 39th and longest-lived U.S. president, ended Sunday at the age of 100 where it began: Plains, the town of 600 that fueled his political rise, welcomed him after his fall and sustained him during 40 years of service that redefined what it means to be a former president. With the stubborn confidence of an engineer and an optimism rooted in his Baptist faith, Carter described his motivations in politics and beyond in the same way: an almost missionary zeal to solve problems and improve lives. Carter was raised amid racism, abject poverty and hard rural living — realities that shaped both his deliberate politics and emphasis on human rights. “He always felt a responsibility to help people,” said Jill Stuckey, a longtime friend of Carter's in Plains. “And when he couldn’t make change wherever he was, he decided he had to go higher.” Carter's path, a mix of happenstance and calculation , pitted moral imperatives against political pragmatism; and it defied typical labels of American politics, especially caricatures of one-term presidents as failures. “We shouldn’t judge presidents by how popular they are in their day. That's a very narrow way of assessing them," Carter biographer Jonathan Alter told the Associated Press. “We should judge them by how they changed the country and the world for the better. On that score, Jimmy Carter is not in the first rank of American presidents, but he stands up quite well.” Later in life, Carter conceded that many Americans, even those too young to remember his tenure, judged him ineffective for failing to contain inflation or interest rates, end the energy crisis or quickly bring home American hostages in Iran. He gained admirers instead for his work at The Carter Center — advocating globally for public health, human rights and democracy since 1982 — and the decades he and Rosalynn wore hardhats and swung hammers with Habitat for Humanity. Yet the common view that he was better after the Oval Office than in it annoyed Carter, and his allies relished him living long enough to see historians reassess his presidency. “He doesn’t quite fit in today’s terms” of a left-right, red-blue scoreboard, said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who visited the former president multiple times during his own White House bid. At various points in his political career, Carter labeled himself “progressive” or “conservative” — sometimes both at once. His most ambitious health care bill failed — perhaps one of his biggest legislative disappointments — because it didn’t go far enough to suit liberals. Republicans, especially after his 1980 defeat, cast him as a left-wing cartoon. It would be easiest to classify Carter as a centrist, Buttigieg said, “but there’s also something radical about the depth of his commitment to looking after those who are left out of society and out of the economy.” Indeed, Carter’s legacy is stitched with complexities, contradictions and evolutions — personal and political. The self-styled peacemaker was a war-trained Naval Academy graduate who promised Democratic challenger Ted Kennedy that he’d “kick his ass.” But he campaigned with a call to treat everyone with “respect and compassion and with love.” Carter vowed to restore America’s virtue after the shame of Vietnam and Watergate, and his technocratic, good-government approach didn't suit Republicans who tagged government itself as the problem. It also sometimes put Carter at odds with fellow Democrats. The result still was a notable legislative record, with wins on the environment, education, and mental health care. He dramatically expanded federally protected lands, began deregulating air travel, railroads and trucking, and he put human rights at the center of U.S. foreign policy. As a fiscal hawk, Carter added a relative pittance to the national debt, unlike successors from both parties. Carter nonetheless struggled to make his achievements resonate with the electorate he charmed in 1976. Quoting Bob Dylan and grinning enthusiastically, he had promised voters he would “never tell a lie.” Once in Washington, though, he led like a joyless engineer, insisting his ideas would become reality and he'd be rewarded politically if only he could convince enough people with facts and logic. This served him well at Camp David, where he brokered peace between Israel’s Menachem Begin and Epypt’s Anwar Sadat, an experience that later sparked the idea of The Carter Center in Atlanta. Carter's tenacity helped the center grow to a global force that monitored elections across five continents, enabled his freelance diplomacy and sent public health experts across the developing world. The center’s wins were personal for Carter, who hoped to outlive the last Guinea worm parasite, and nearly did. As president, though, the approach fell short when he urged consumers beleaguered by energy costs to turn down their thermostats. Or when he tried to be the nation’s cheerleader, beseeching Americans to overcome a collective “crisis of confidence.” Republican Ronald Reagan exploited Carter's lecturing tone with a belittling quip in their lone 1980 debate. “There you go again,” the former Hollywood actor said in response to a wonky answer from the sitting president. “The Great Communicator” outpaced Carter in all but six states. Carter later suggested he “tried to do too much, too soon” and mused that he was incompatible with Washington culture: media figures, lobbyists and Georgetown social elites who looked down on the Georgians and their inner circle as “country come to town.” Carter carefully navigated divides on race and class on his way to the Oval Office. Born Oct. 1, 1924 , Carter was raised in the mostly Black community of Archery, just outside Plains, by a progressive mother and white supremacist father. Their home had no running water or electricity but the future president still grew up with the relative advantages of a locally prominent, land-owning family in a system of Jim Crow segregation. He wrote of President Franklin Roosevelt’s towering presence and his family’s Democratic Party roots, but his father soured on FDR, and Jimmy Carter never campaigned or governed as a New Deal liberal. He offered himself as a small-town peanut farmer with an understated style, carrying his own luggage, bunking with supporters during his first presidential campaign and always using his nickname. And he began his political career in a whites-only Democratic Party. As private citizens, he and Rosalynn supported integration as early as the 1950s and believed it inevitable. Carter refused to join the White Citizens Council in Plains and spoke out in his Baptist church against denying Black people access to worship services. “This is not my house; this is not your house,” he said in a churchwide meeting, reminding fellow parishioners their sanctuary belonged to God. Yet as the appointed chairman of Sumter County schools he never pushed to desegregate, thinking it impractical after the Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v. Board decision. And while presidential candidate Carter would hail the 1965 Voting Rights Act, signed by fellow Democrat Lyndon Johnson when Carter was a state senator, there is no record of Carter publicly supporting it at the time. Carter overcame a ballot-stuffing opponent to win his legislative seat, then lost the 1966 governor's race to an arch-segregationist. He won four years later by avoiding explicit mentions of race and campaigning to the right of his rival, who he mocked as “Cufflinks Carl” — the insult of an ascendant politician who never saw himself as part the establishment. Carter’s rural and small-town coalition in 1970 would match any victorious Republican electoral map in 2024. Once elected, though, Carter shocked his white conservative supporters — and landed on the cover of Time magazine — by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” Before making the jump to Washington, Carter befriended the family of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., whom he’d never sought out as he eyed the governor’s office. Carter lamented his foot-dragging on school integration as a “mistake.” But he also met, conspicuously, with Alabama's segregationist Gov. George Wallace to accept his primary rival's endorsement ahead of the 1976 Democratic convention. “He very shrewdly took advantage of his own Southerness,” said Amber Roessner, a University of Tennessee professor and expert on Carter’s campaigns. A coalition of Black voters and white moderate Democrats ultimately made Carter the last Democratic presidential nominee to sweep the Deep South. Then, just as he did in Georgia, he used his power in office to appoint more non-whites than all his predecessors had, combined. He once acknowledged “the secret shame” of white Americans who didn’t fight segregation. But he also told Alter that doing more would have sacrificed his political viability – and thus everything he accomplished in office and after. King's daughter, Bernice King, described Carter as wisely “strategic” in winning higher offices to enact change. “He was a leader of conscience,” she said in an interview. Rosalynn Carter, who died on Nov. 19 at the age of 96, was identified by both husband and wife as the “more political” of the pair; she sat in on Cabinet meetings and urged him to postpone certain priorities, like pressing the Senate to relinquish control of the Panama Canal. “Let that go until the second term,” she would sometimes say. The president, recalled her former aide Kathy Cade, retorted that he was “going to do what’s right” even if “it might cut short the time I have.” Rosalynn held firm, Cade said: “She’d remind him you have to win to govern.” Carter also was the first president to appoint multiple women as Cabinet officers. Yet by his own telling, his career sprouted from chauvinism in the Carters' early marriage: He did not consult Rosalynn when deciding to move back to Plains in 1953 or before launching his state Senate bid a decade later. Many years later, he called it “inconceivable” that he didn’t confer with the woman he described as his “full partner,” at home, in government and at The Carter Center. “We developed a partnership when we were working in the farm supply business, and it continued when Jimmy got involved in politics,” Rosalynn Carter told AP in 2021. So deep was their trust that when Carter remained tethered to the White House in 1980 as 52 Americans were held hostage in Tehran, it was Rosalynn who campaigned on her husband’s behalf. “I just loved it,” she said, despite the bitterness of defeat. Fair or not, the label of a disastrous presidency had leading Democrats keep their distance, at least publicly, for many years, but Carter managed to remain relevant, writing books and weighing in on societal challenges. He lamented widening wealth gaps and the influence of money in politics. He voted for democratic socialist Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton in 2016, and later declared that America had devolved from fully functioning democracy to “oligarchy.” Yet looking ahead to 2020, with Sanders running again, Carter warned Democrats not to “move to a very liberal program,” lest they help re-elect President Donald Trump. Carter scolded the Republican for his serial lies and threats to democracy, and chided the U.S. establishment for misunderstanding Trump’s populist appeal. He delighted in yearly convocations with Emory University freshmen, often asking them to guess how much he’d raised in his two general election campaigns. “Zero,” he’d gesture with a smile, explaining the public financing system candidates now avoid so they can raise billions. Carter still remained quite practical in partnering with wealthy corporations and foundations to advance Carter Center programs. Carter recognized that economic woes and the Iran crisis doomed his presidency, but offered no apologies for appointing Paul Volcker as the Federal Reserve chairman whose interest rate hikes would not curb inflation until Reagan's presidency. He was proud of getting all the hostages home without starting a shooting war, even though Tehran would not free them until Reagan's Inauguration Day. “Carter didn’t look at it” as a failure, Alter emphasized. “He said, ‘They came home safely.’ And that’s what he wanted.” Well into their 90s, the Carters greeted visitors at Plains’ Maranatha Baptist Church, where he taught Sunday School and where he will have his last funeral before being buried on family property alongside Rosalynn . Carter, who made the congregation’s collection plates in his woodworking shop, still garnered headlines there, calling for women’s rights within religious institutions, many of which, he said, “subjugate” women in church and society. Carter was not one to dwell on regrets. “I am at peace with the accomplishments, regret the unrealized goals and utilize my former political position to enhance everything we do,” he wrote around his 90th birthday. The politician who had supposedly hated Washington politics also enjoyed hosting Democratic presidential contenders as public pilgrimages to Plains became advantageous again. Carter sat with Buttigieg for the final time March 1, 2020, hours before the Indiana mayor ended his campaign and endorsed eventual winner Joe Biden. “He asked me how I thought the campaign was going,” Buttigieg said, recalling that Carter flashed his signature grin and nodded along as the young candidate, born a year after Carter left office, “put the best face” on the walloping he endured the day before in South Carolina. Never breaking his smile, the 95-year-old host fired back, “I think you ought to drop out.” “So matter of fact,” Buttigieg said with a laugh. “It was somehow encouraging.” Carter had lived enough, won plenty and lost enough to take the long view. “He talked a lot about coming from nowhere,” Buttigieg said, not just to attain the presidency but to leverage “all of the instruments you have in life” and “make the world more peaceful.” In his farewell address as president, Carter said as much to the country that had embraced and rejected him. “The struggle for human rights overrides all differences of color, nation or language,” he declared. “Those who hunger for freedom, who thirst for human dignity and who suffer for the sake of justice — they are the patriots of this cause.” Carter pledged to remain engaged with and for them as he returned “home to the South where I was born and raised,” home to Plains, where that young lieutenant had indeed become “a fellow citizen of the world.” —- Bill Barrow, based in Atlanta, has covered national politics including multiple presidential campaigns for the AP since 2012.

Agnico Eagle and O3 Mining Welcome Gold Fields' Support of Their Friendly Premium TransactionOrganizers of the Bank of America Chicago Distance Series Unveil New Event Logos CHICAGO , Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bank of America Chicago Marathon will notify runners today of their selection status for the 2025 event. The race, which is the final event in the Bank of America Chicago Distance Series, continues to see unprecedented interest with more than 160,000 individuals applying for a chance to participate. Those who secure an entry into the race will join another record-breaking field with more than 53,000 participants expected to cross the finish line in Grant Park on Sunday, October 12, 2025 . Today's selection shows growing interest and participation in the Shamrock Shuffle 8K Run, Chicago 13.1 and Chicago Marathon, which together form the Bank of America Chicago Distance Series. In 2024, the events welcomed more than 81,000 finishers, with 2,700 completing all three Series events. As enthusiasm in the events builds, event organizers are excited to unveil a new look and feel for the third rendition of the Series. The new logos connect each event and celebrate the unique attributes that the local and global running communities associate with the popular road races. "Today we welcome a new field of participants to the Bank of America Chicago Marathon and launch the next chapter of the Bank of America Chicago Distance Series," said Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski . "When we started the Series in 2023, our goal was to celebrate the Chicago running community, from individuals discovering the sport for the first time to our longtime participants. We continue to be humbled by the running community's enthusiasm and embrace of the events and we're excited to launch a new look that celebrates Chicago , the spirit of each race and the achievement made possible through the dedication of thousands of runners." Individuals interested in participating in the 2025 Bank of America Chicago Distance Series are encouraged to register early, as all races are expected to sell out in 2025. Continue reading for more information about the events that make up the Chicago Distance Series. Bank of America Chicago Marathon The Bank of America Chicago Marathon will take place on Sunday, October 12, 2025 . Runners who receive an entry through today's drawing will join those who guaranteed their entry into the race during the four-week application window. Guaranteed entries include Bank of America Chicago Marathon legacy finishers, time qualifiers, international tour group participants, charity runners, 2024 Bank of America Chicago Distance Series finishers and those who cancelled their 2024 race entries. Runners who did not receive an entry through the drawing can still sign up through the Bank of America Chicago Marathon Charity Program. Since 2002, the Charity Program has generated more than $322 million for local, national and global causes. The 2025 Charity Program includes 217 nonprofit organizations raising funds related to 10 cause categories: Advocacy, Animal Rights and Welfare, Education, Environment, First Responder and Military, Healthcare, Research, Social Service, Sports and Youth Development. Individuals who register to run with an official charity at this time are required to raise a minimum of $2,100 . For a list of official charities and information on how to register by joining a charity team, go to chicagomarathon.com/charity . For the latest event updates, registered participants and community members are encouraged to visit the Event FAQ which is available at chicagomarathon.com . Bank of America Chicago 13.1 The Bank of America Chicago 13.1 will take place on Sunday, June 1, 2025 . The fourth annual half marathon is set to welcome more than 9,000 finishers on a course that weaves through the historic parks and boulevards of the West Side, starting and finishing in Garfield Park. Following the race, participants and community members are encouraged to celebrate at the Race Day Festival, featuring a mix of entertainment, health and wellness activities and community activations including the West Wellness Walk, a 1.31-mile walk on Saturday, May 31 . Additional details about the 2025 event and registration information are available at chicago13point1.com . Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle The Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle will take place on Sunday, March 23, 2025 . This beloved Chicago tradition in its 44 th year is regarded as the official kickoff to the running season and a continuation of the city's St. Patrick's Day celebrations. The race is set to welcome more than 24,000 participants to a one-of-a-kind 8K Run (4.97 miles) through Chicago's Loop. Fitness enthusiasts looking for shorter distance events are encouraged to join The Mile event on Saturday, March 22 , or the 2-Mile Walk on Sunday. All three events will start and finish in Chicago's Grant Park . Additional details about the 2025 event and registration information are available at shamrockshuffle.com . For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom and register for news email alerts . Reporters May Contact: Alex Sawyer , Bank of America Chicago Marathon Phone: 1.312.992.6618 alex.sawyer@cemevent.com Diane Wagner , Bank of America, Phone: 1.312.992.2370 diane.wagner@bofa.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/event-record-160-000-people-apply-for-the-2025-bank-of-america-chicago-marathon-302330706.html SOURCE Bank of America Corporation

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Organizers of the Bank of America Chicago Distance Series Unveil New Event Logos CHICAGO , Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bank of America Chicago Marathon will notify runners today of their selection status for the 2025 event. The race, which is the final event in the Bank of America Chicago Distance Series, continues to see unprecedented interest with more than 160,000 individuals applying for a chance to participate. Those who secure an entry into the race will join another record-breaking field with more than 53,000 participants expected to cross the finish line in Grant Park on Sunday, October 12, 2025 . Today's selection shows growing interest and participation in the Shamrock Shuffle 8K Run, Chicago 13.1 and Chicago Marathon, which together form the Bank of America Chicago Distance Series. In 2024, the events welcomed more than 81,000 finishers, with 2,700 completing all three Series events. As enthusiasm in the events builds, event organizers are excited to unveil a new look and feel for the third rendition of the Series. The new logos connect each event and celebrate the unique attributes that the local and global running communities associate with the popular road races. "Today we welcome a new field of participants to the Bank of America Chicago Marathon and launch the next chapter of the Bank of America Chicago Distance Series," said Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski . "When we started the Series in 2023, our goal was to celebrate the Chicago running community, from individuals discovering the sport for the first time to our longtime participants. We continue to be humbled by the running community's enthusiasm and embrace of the events and we're excited to launch a new look that celebrates Chicago , the spirit of each race and the achievement made possible through the dedication of thousands of runners." Individuals interested in participating in the 2025 Bank of America Chicago Distance Series are encouraged to register early, as all races are expected to sell out in 2025. Continue reading for more information about the events that make up the Chicago Distance Series. Bank of America Chicago Marathon The Bank of America Chicago Marathon will take place on Sunday, October 12, 2025 . Runners who receive an entry through today's drawing will join those who guaranteed their entry into the race during the four-week application window. Guaranteed entries include Bank of America Chicago Marathon legacy finishers, time qualifiers, international tour group participants, charity runners, 2024 Bank of America Chicago Distance Series finishers and those who cancelled their 2024 race entries. Runners who did not receive an entry through the drawing can still sign up through the Bank of America Chicago Marathon Charity Program. Since 2002, the Charity Program has generated more than $322 million for local, national and global causes. The 2025 Charity Program includes 217 nonprofit organizations raising funds related to 10 cause categories: Advocacy, Animal Rights and Welfare, Education, Environment, First Responder and Military, Healthcare, Research, Social Service, Sports and Youth Development. Individuals who register to run with an official charity at this time are required to raise a minimum of $2,100 . For a list of official charities and information on how to register by joining a charity team, go to chicagomarathon.com/charity . For the latest event updates, registered participants and community members are encouraged to visit the Event FAQ which is available at chicagomarathon.com . Bank of America Chicago 13.1 The Bank of America Chicago 13.1 will take place on Sunday, June 1, 2025 . The fourth annual half marathon is set to welcome more than 9,000 finishers on a course that weaves through the historic parks and boulevards of the West Side, starting and finishing in Garfield Park. Following the race, participants and community members are encouraged to celebrate at the Race Day Festival, featuring a mix of entertainment, health and wellness activities and community activations including the West Wellness Walk, a 1.31-mile walk on Saturday, May 31 . Additional details about the 2025 event and registration information are available at chicago13point1.com . Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle The Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle will take place on Sunday, March 23, 2025 . This beloved Chicago tradition in its 44 th year is regarded as the official kickoff to the running season and a continuation of the city's St. Patrick's Day celebrations. The race is set to welcome more than 24,000 participants to a one-of-a-kind 8K Run (4.97 miles) through Chicago's Loop. Fitness enthusiasts looking for shorter distance events are encouraged to join The Mile event on Saturday, March 22 , or the 2-Mile Walk on Sunday. All three events will start and finish in Chicago's Grant Park . Additional details about the 2025 event and registration information are available at shamrockshuffle.com . For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom and register for news email alerts . Reporters May Contact: Alex Sawyer , Bank of America Chicago Marathon Phone: 1.312.992.6618 alex.sawyer@cemevent.com Diane Wagner , Bank of America, Phone: 1.312.992.2370 diane.wagner@bofa.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/event-record-160-000-people-apply-for-the-2025-bank-of-america-chicago-marathon-302330706.html SOURCE Bank of America CorporationThe Wanted star Max George has said he will be spending Christmas in hospital after doctors discovered “some issues” with his heart. The singer, 36, provided the health update in an Instagram post alongside a photo of him giving a thumbs up while lying in a hospital bed. He revealed he is awaiting more tests to determine the extent of the issues and what surgery he may need, but said he is expecting it to be a “difficult few weeks/months”. He wrote: “Hey everyone, yesterday I felt really unwell and was taken in to hospital. Unfortunately after some tests they’ve found that I have some issues with my heart. “I have a lot more tests to determine the extent of the problems and what surgery I will need to get me back on my feet. “It’s gonna be a difficult few weeks/months... and Christmas in a hospital bed wasn’t exactly what I had planned.” The singer said he is “surrounded with love and support” from his “wonderful” partner, actress Maisie Smith, as well as his family and friends. He added: “Although this is a huge shock and no doubt a set back, it’s something I’ll take on with all I’ve got. “I count myself very lucky that this was caught when it was.” Friends and famous faces were among those to offer their support including his bandmate Siva Kaneswaran who said: “Here for you brother. Rest up and get well soon.” JLS stars JB Gill and Marvin Humes also commented. Gill wrote: “God bless you bro, wishing you better soon. Sending lots of love”, while Humes added: “Sorry to hear you’re not well geezer, you’re strong and will fight through. Big love mate.” George rose to fame in the 2010s with The Wanted, who had a number of hit songs including All Time Low and Heart Vacancy. His bandmate Tom Parker died in 2022 at the age of 33 after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour. George, who helped carry Parker’s coffin at his funeral alongside fellow bandmates Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness and Nathan Sykes, previously said on This Morning that he continued to message his late bandmate following his death as it brought him “a bit of comfort”. He also appeared in the US musical series Glee as Clint and in his band’s reality series The Wanted Life. Over the years, he has competed in a number of competition series including Strictly Come Dancing in 2020, Bear Grylls: Mission Survive and Richard Osman’s House of Games. Earlier this year he made his stage debut in the theatrical adaption of a BBC TV show about a lottery syndicate by Kay Mellor titled The Syndicate. George and soap actress Smith first met when they both competed on Strictly Come Dancing, but have previously said that romantic sparks only began to fly in 2022.

ComBank crowned ‘Green Brand of the Year’ with Gold at SLIM Brand Excellence Awards

Daily Horoscope, December 30, 2024: Check Today's Astrological Prediction For Your Zodiac Sign

Penix, the eighth overall pick in this year's draft, was supposed to serve as Cousins' understudy for a year or two, a plan that was scuttled when Cousins quickly lost the zip and accuracy on his passes and his grip on the starting job. It was hard to argue with making the change after Cousins had nine picks and one touchdown pass in his last five starts — but it was a daring move nonetheless with the Falcons trailing first-place Tampa Bay by a single game with three weeks left. Penix made the move pay off with a solid first NFL start in the Falcons' 34-7 rout of the New York Giants on Sunday that bolstered Atlanta's playoff hopes , and the Falcons (8-7) moved back into first place in the NFC South with the Buccaneers' loss at Dallas on Sunday night. The left-hander was not at all overwhelmed by the moment, completing 18 of 27 passes for 202 yards — numbers that would’ve been better if not for at least three dropped passes, one of which Kyle Pitts bobbled right into the hands of a New York defender for Penix’s lone interception. “He went out and played almost flawless football,” coach Raheem Morris said. Cousins will almost certainly be looking for his fourth team in 2025. If the Falcons cut ties as expected, they'll have paid Cousins $90 million for 14 games. Cousins' career earnings are about $321 million and his record is 84-77-2, including a 1-3 mark in the playoffs and 7-7 this season. In the spirit of expedited judgments, let's take a gander at how other quarterbacks have fared with their new teams in 2024. The Pittsburgh Steelers landed the biggest bargain of the season in Wilson, whom they signed for the veteran's minimum of $1.21 million, leaving his former team, the Denver Broncos, on the hook for the remaining $37.79 million of his 2024 salary. Wilson's calf injury in camp forced the Steelers to start Justin Fields, who went 4-2 before Mike Tomlin made the risky switch to Wilson, who's gone 6-3 with 15 TD throws and four interceptions. With the Steelers (10-5) playoff-bound, Wilson will make his first postseason appearance since 2020. The only question is whether it'll be at home as AFC North champ or on the road as a wild-card. They're tied with the Ravens atop the division but currently own the tiebreaker. This was expected to be a rebuilding year in Minnesota after the Vikings lost Cousins in free agency. They signed Darnold, the third overall pick in 2018, to a $10 million, one-year contract and drafted national champion J.J. McCarthy with the 10th overall pick. McCarthy tore the meniscus in his right knee during the preseason opener and has undergone two surgeries, opening the way for Darnold's breakthrough season. Darnold brought a 21-35 career record with him to Minneapolis and all he's done is go 13-2 while setting career highs with 32 touchdown passes, 3,776 passing yards and a 67.2% completion percentage. The Vikings are tied with the Lions atop the packed NFC North and the division crown could come down to Minnesota's season finale at Detroit on Jan. 5. The Las Vegas Raiders signed Minshew to a two-year, $25 million contract and he beat out incumbent Aidan O'Connell for the starting gig. But he only went 2-7 and sustained a season-ending broken collarbone in a Week 12 loss to the Broncos, opening the door for O'Connell (1-4) to return. The Raiders' 19-14 win over Jacksonville on Sunday snapped a 10-game skid but might have taken them out of the Shedeur Sanders sweepstakes. They are 3-12, a game behind the Giants (2-13), who jettisoned QB Daniel Jones less than two years after signing him to a four-year, $160 million contract and have gone with Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito instead. The Chicago Bears had high hopes after drafting Williams with the No. 1 overall pick, but it might turn out that the second QB taken — Washington's Jayden Daniels — is better than the first as was the case last year when C.J. Stroud outperformed Carolina's Bryce Young. Williams has a terrific TD-to-INT ratio of 19-5, but the Bears are 4-11 and have lost nine in a row. Their last win came way back on Oct. 13 against Jacksonville. The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner out of LSU has led the Washington Commanders (10-5) to the cusp of their first playoff appearance since 2020. His bolstered his Rookie of the Year credentials with a five-TD performance Sunday in leading the Commanders to a 36-33 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. For the year, Daniels has 22 TD throws and eight interceptions. The former Auburn and Oregon star hasn't looked much like a rookie after starting an NCAA QB record 61 times in college. The Broncos (9-6) could snap an eight-year playoff drought with a win Sunday at Cincinnati thanks to Nix's steady play , Sean Payton's exhaustive guidance and Denver's traditionally stingy defense. Nix was drafted 12th overall after the Broncos released Wilson despite a a whopping $85 million dead money charge on top of the $37.79 million they're paying Wilson to play for Pittsburgh this year. With 22 TDs and 11 interceptions, Nix has almost matched Russell's win total (11-19) in his two seasons in Denver. AP Sports Writer Paul Newberry in Atlanta contributed to this report. Behind the Call analyzes the biggest topics in the NFL during the season. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflIsrael and Lebanon's Hezbollah agree to a ceasefire after nearly 14 months of fighting

Purdue Fort Wayne defeats Green Bay 83-67Michelle Keegan left her fans astonished as she revealed her delightful pregnancy news. The 37 year old TV sensation took to Instagram on Sunday, gracing her followers with an image cradling her baby bump alongside her reality star husband, Mark Wright, amidst a glorious beach setting. The picture captured a stunning seaside moment with Mark, also 37, approaching Michelle against a backdrop of the setting sun. Clad in white, Michelle struck a pose that accentuated her growing bump while tenderly placing her hand over it. She shared this heartwarming update on her main feed with the caption: "2025 is going to be a special one for us..." accompanied by a baby face emoji and a white heart emoji. Prior to this big reveal, Michelle had masterfully utilised camera angles and styling techniques to keep her pregnancy under wraps, evident from holiday season images avoiding any premature announcements. Kicking off December, she posted a collection of photos and clips on her Instagram , playfully admitting: "Happy 1st December... I'll be honest I stepped into Christmas weeks ago. Here's to the best month of the year." The standout image in the collection captures Michelle at a dining table, bundled in an oversized winter coat with a petite dog perched on her lap, artfully hiding her figure. Further pictures show the star enveloped in a vast brown leather coat with a plush sheepskin lining that covers her completely, reports The Mirror. More images depict her snapping selfies, focusing from her shoulders up. In December, the ex- Coronation Street actress shared an advert on her main Instagram feed where she's seen wrapping presents and savouring Rituals Cosmetics products, cleverly covering her burgeoning bump by sitting strategically, often with the camera zooming into her hands or over her shoulder. The revelation of the couple's impending bundle of joy brought waves of support and good wishes from their audience. One fan excitedly commented on their Instagram announcement: "Awwwww Congratulations this is amazing news." Another expressed joy: "I'm so so happy for you guys. Just the best." Michelle has previously expressed her frustration with the invasive questioning women face regarding motherhood, often without knowledge of their personal circumstances. Speaking to the Mirror, she stated: "It's horrible. People don't know if we're trying. "They don't know the background of what's happening. In this day and age, you shouldn't be asking questions like that," and added, "I'm asked purely because I'm a woman. I'm immune to it now – it's like a reaction, and as soon as I hear it I brush it off as it's no one else's business."

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that President Joe Biden “still stands” by his claim that President-elect Donald Trump is an “existential threat,” even though he also wants a peaceful transfer of power. Jean-Pierre was asked about Biden’s earlier descriptions of Trump during the campaign, given his warm reception for Trump last week and seeming comfort with the idea of a man Democrats likened to Adolf Hitler returning to office. World War III Watch: Now UK Escalates Ukraine War; Guest Oliver Lane from London She said: There was an election when the American people spoke. The will of the American people were very clear, right? And so the president is now in a situation where we have to deal with a peaceful transfer of power. We have to respect the will of the American people, and that’s what you have been seeing from this president, trying to lead by example to make sure that that happens, and that’s what the American people deserve. That’s what the president deserves, and that’s what I think he was very clear about in the Rose Garden when he delivered his remarks two days after the election, and he said he was very honest, said these — you know, and again I’m not quoting him exactly — but these were not the results that we had wanted, right? And that’s just being honest. They weren’t, but we are now in a position where he believes he has to lead by example and show what a peaceful transfer of power looks like. And so that’s what you’re seeing from this president and you know, to the points that you made, you know, I’ve been asked about existential threat. I’ve been asked about a threat to our democracy. The president is always going to be honest with the American people. He feels like he is obligated. What he said still stands, but we are now in a different place. We are. The American people spoke. They deserve a peaceful transfer of power. That’s what this president wants to do. ... His thoughts and what he said, his thinking on that has not changed. It has not, and I think he was very clear about what he believes should have been done or how we should move forward, how, you know, he was very clear during those moments that he spoke about it. Right now, he wants to lead by example, and talk and show the American people what it looks like to have an efficient, effective transfer of power, and he believes that is what the American people deserve, and I’m just going to leave it there for now. Critics on both sides of the aisle have suggested that Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris never really believed Trump was an existential threat to America at all, given the fact that they seemed to respect his victory in the election. Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days , available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency , now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak .Small Satellite Market Size & Trends To 2030 11-26-2024 08:04 PM CET | IT, New Media & Software Press release from: Prudent Markets Small Satellite Market The Small Satellite Market 2024 Report makes available the current and forthcoming technical and financial details of the industry. It is one of the most comprehensive and important additions to the Prudent Markets archive of market research studies. It offers detailed research and analysis of key aspects of the global Small Satellite market. This report explores all the key factors affecting the growth of the global Small Satellite market, including demand-supply scenario, pricing structure, profit margins, production, and value chain analysis. The report concludes with the profiles of major players in the Small Satellite market are: Company 1, Company 2, And Many More Discover Who You Really Compete Against In The Marketplace, Get PDF Sample Report Now! @ https://www.prudentmarkets.com/sample-request/23059/ Small Satellite Market Segmentation are: Type (Mini-satellites, Microsatellites, Nanosatellites), Application (Earth Observation, Telecommunication, Scientific Research & Experimentation, Technology Demonstration), Industry Trends, Estimation & Forecast, 2017 - 2025 The research report offers a comprehensive picture of the Small Satellite market. The report initiates with the executive summary of the market that includes market definition, recent industry trends, and developments, strategies of the key players and wide product offerings. Moreover, the study explains the future opportunities and a sketch of the key participants actively operating in the market. About Small Satellite Market Small satellites, also known as miniaturized satellites, or small-sat, are satellites of low mass and size, usually under 500 kg. These are further divided into mini, micro, and nano satellites. Small satellite market is anticipated to grow significantly owing to satellite miniaturization trend, increasing focus on reducing mission costs, and huge investment in small satellite market. However, technological limitation might restrict the market growth. Application of small satellites for internet connectivity would boost the market in upcoming years. North America is projected to lead the market towards growth in the near future. The research report is prepared based on the combination of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects. By thorough understanding, the report is fragmented by larger ratios. The report covers in-depth analysis with major factors such as drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges that influences the growth of the market. On the other hand, The Small Satellite report presents data starting from the base year 2018, historical year: 2014-2018, estimated the year 2019 and Forecast year from 2019 to 2026. The Small Satellite market report offers the market size and estimates the forecast from 2019-2026. The forecast estimation is predicted based on the key regions that include North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, South America, and the Middle East & Africa. Furthermore, the Small Satellite report provides a deep emphasis on secondary tools used to document the report. PEST analysis, SWOT, Porters Five Forces, and others are considered by the analysts while preparing the report. Scope and Segmentation of the Market Prudent Markets provides attractive discounts that fit your needs. Customization of the reports as per your requirement is also offered. Get in touch with our sales team, who will guarantee you a report that suits your needs. Speak To Our Analyst For A Discussion On The Above Findings, And Ask For A Discount On The Report @ https://www.prudentmarkets.com/discount-request/23059/ The report covers the competitive analysis of the market. As the demand is driven by a buyer's paying capacity and the rate of item development, the report shows the important regions that will direct growth. This section exclusively shares insight into the budget reports of big-league members of the market helping key players and new entrants understand the potential of investments in the Global Small Satellite Market. It can be better employed by both traditional and new players in the industry for complete know-how of the market. Regional Analysis for Small Satellite Market: • North America (the USA and Canada) • Europe (UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia and Rest of Europe) • Asia Pacific (Japan, China, India, Australia, Southeast Asia and Rest of Asia Pacific) • Latin America (Brazil, Mexico and Rest of Latin America) • Middle East & Africa (South Africa, GCC and Rest of the Middle East & Africa) TO KNOW MORE ABOUT COVID-19 IMPACT @ https://www.prudentmarkets.com/sample-request/23059/ Strategic Points Covered in Table of Content of Global Small Satellite Market: Chapter 1: Introduction, market driving force product Objective of Study and Research Scope the Small Satellite market Chapter 2: Exclusive Summary - the basic information of the Small Satellite Market. Chapter 3: Displaying the Market Dynamics- Drivers, Trends and Challenges & Opportunities of the Small Satellite Chapter 4: Presenting the Small Satellite Market Factor Analysis, Porters Five Forces, Supply/Value Chain, PESTEL analysis, Market Entropy, Patent/Trademark Analysis. Chapter 5: Displaying the by Type, End User and Region/Country Chapter 6: Evaluating the leading manufacturers of the Small Satellite market which consists of its Competitive Landscape, Peer Group Analysis, BCG Matrix & Company Profile Chapter 7: To evaluate the market by segments, by countries and by Manufacturers/Company with revenue share and sales by key countries in these various regions Chapter 8 & 9: Displaying the Appendix, Methodology and Data Source Why should you purchase this report? -Prudent Markets provides the vital historical and analysis data of global Small Satellite market. -The report provides the entire assessment of the future market and altering market scenario or behavior. -All the business decision could be backed through the several strategic business methodologies offered in the report. -An extra edge in the competitive market could be obtained from this elaborative research report -The report offers all the competitive landscape, growth drivers, applications, market dynamics, and other necessary details as well. For In-Depth Competitive Analysis - Purchase this Report now at a Complete Table of Contents (Single User License) @ https://www.prudentmarkets.com/checkout/?id=23059&license_type=su Free Customization on the basis of client requirements on Immediate purchase: 1- Free country-level breakdown of any 5 countries of your interest. 2- Competitive breakdown of segment revenue by market players. Customization of the Report: This report can be customized to meet the client's requirements. Please connect with our sales team (sales@prudentmarkets.com), who will ensure that you get a report that suits your needs. You can also get in touch with our executives on +91 83560 50278 || USA/Canada(Toll Free): 1800-601-6071 to share your research requirements. Get ready to Recognize the pros and cons of the regulatory framework, local reforms, and its effect on the Industry. Understand how the Leaders in Intelligent Network are keeping themselves one stage forward with our most up-to-date survey analysis. In conclusion, the Small Satellite Market report is a genuine source for accessing the research data which is projected to exponentially grow your business. The report provides information such as economic scenarios, benefits, limits, trends, market growth rates, and figures. SWOT analysis and PESTLE analysis is also incorporated in the report. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/analysis-intelligent-dispensing-peristaltic-pumps-market-etbxc/ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/assessing-impact-growth-consumer-behavior-dog-flea-7fsoc/ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/assessing-impact-growth-consumer-behavior-lychee-sbk6e/ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/understanding-factors-influencing-non-lnlre/ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/understanding-factors-influencing-flush-rings-market-2032-joshi-rayyc/ Contact Us: Allan Carter Andheri, Maharashtra, 400102 USA/Canada(Toll Free): 1800-601-6071 Direct Line: +91 83560 50278 Mail: sales@prudentmarkets.com Web: www.prudentmarkets.com About Us: We are leaders in market analytics, business research, and consulting services for Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, financial & government institutions. Since we understand the criticality of data and insights, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. To be at our client's disposal whenever they need help on market research and consulting services. We also aim to be their business partners when it comes to making critical business decisions around new market entry, M&A, competitive Intelligence and strategy. This release was published on openPR.JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel approved a ceasefire agreement with Lebanon's Hezbollah militants on Tuesday that would end nearly 14 months of fighting linked to the war in the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire, starting at 4 a.m. local time Wednesday, would mark the first major step toward ending the regionwide unrest triggered by Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. But it does not address the devastating war in Gaza , where Hamas is still holding dozens of hostages and the conflict is more intractable. Hours before the ceasefire with Hezbollah was to take effect, Israel carried out the most intense wave of strikes in Beirut and its southern suburbs since the start of the conflict and issued a record number of evacuation warnings. At least 42 people were killed in strikes across the country, according to local authorities. Another huge airstrike shook Beirut shortly after the ceasefire was announced. There appeared to be lingering disagreement over whether Israel would have the right to strike Hezbollah if it believed the militants had violated the agreement, something Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted was part of the deal but which Lebanese and Hezbollah officials have rejected. Israel's security Cabinet approved the U.S.-France-brokered ceasefire agreement after Netanyahu presented it, his office said. U.S. President Joe Biden, speaking in Washington, called the agreement “good news” and said his administration would make a renewed push for a ceasefire in Gaza. The Biden administration spent much of this year trying to broker a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza but the talks repeatedly sputtered to a halt . President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to bring peace to the Middle East without saying how. Still, any halt to the fighting in Lebanon is expected to reduce the likelihood of war between Israel and Iran, which backs both Hezbollah and Hamas and exchanged direct fire with Israel on two occasions earlier this year. Netanyahu presented the ceasefire proposal to Cabinet ministers after a televised address in which he listed accomplishments against Israel’s enemies across the region. He said a ceasefire with Hezbollah would further isolate Hamas in Gaza and allow Israel to focus on its main enemy, Iran. “If Hezbollah breaks the agreement and tries to rearm, we will attack,” he said. “For every violation, we will attack with might.” The ceasefire deal calls for a two-month initial halt in fighting and would require Hezbollah to end its armed presence in a broad swath of southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops would return to their side of the border. Thousands of additional Lebanese troops and U.N. peacekeepers would deploy in the south, and an international panel headed by the United States would monitor compliance. Biden said Israel reserved the right to quickly resume operations in Lebanon if Hezbollah breaks the terms of the truce, but that the deal "was designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities.” Netanyahu’s office said Israel appreciated the U.S. efforts in securing the deal but “reserves the right to act against every threat to its security.” Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the ceasefire and described it as a crucial step toward stability and the return of displaced people. Hezbollah has said it accepts the proposal, but a senior official with the group said Tuesday it had not seen the agreement in its final form. “After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a match between what we stated and what was agreed upon by the Lebanese officials,” Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollah’s political council, told the Al Jazeera news network. “We want an end to the aggression, of course, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state," he said, referring to Israel's demand for freedom of action. “Any violation of sovereignty is refused.” Even as ceasefire efforts gained momentum in recent days, Israel continued to strike what it called Hezbollah targets across Lebanon while the militants fired rockets, missiles and drones across the border. An Israeli strike on Tuesday leveled a residential building in central Beirut — the second time in recent days warplanes have hit the crowded area near downtown. At least seven people were killed and 37 wounded, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. Israel also struck a building in Beirut's bustling commercial district of Hamra for the first time, hitting a site around 400 meters (yards) from Lebanon’s Central Bank. There were no reports of casualties. The Israeli military said it struck targets linked to Hezbollah's financial arm. The evacuation warnings covered many areas, including parts of Beirut that previously were not targeted. The warnings sent residents fleeing. Traffic was gridlocked, with mattresses tied to some cars. Dozens of people, some wearing pajamas, gathered in a central square, huddling under blankets or standing around fires as Israeli drones buzzed overhead. Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee issued evacuation warnings for 20 buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has a major presence, as well as a warning for the southern town of Naqoura where the U.N. peacekeeping mission, UNIFIL, is headquartered. UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said peacekeepers will not evacuate. The Israeli military also said its ground troops clashed with Hezbollah forces and destroyed rocket launchers in the Slouqi area on the eastern end of the Litani River, a few kilometers (miles) from the Israeli border. Under the ceasefire deal, Hezbollah would be required to move its forces north of the Litani, which in some places is about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the border. Hezbollah began firing into northern Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, saying it was showing support for the Palestinians, a day after Hamas carried out its attack on southern Israel, triggering the Gaza war. Israel returned fire on Hezbollah, and the two sides have exchanged barrages ever since. Israel escalated its bombardment in mid-September and later sent troops into Lebanon, vowing to put an end to Hezbollah fire so tens of thousands of evacuated Israelis could return to their homes. More than 3,760 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon the past 13 months, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The bombardment has driven 1.2 million people from their homes. Israel says it has killed more than 2,000 Hezbollah members. Hezbollah fire has forced some 50,000 Israelis to evacuate in the country’s north, and its rockets have reached as far south in Israel as Tel Aviv. At least 75 people have been killed, more than half of them civilians. More than 50 Israeli soldiers have died in the ground offensive in Lebanon. Chehayeb and Mroue reported from Beirut and Federman from Jerusalem. Associated Press reporters Lujain Jo and Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed. Find more of AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

Jarvis Moss, Jonas Sirtautas lead Radford past Bucknell 74-70 in OTMarin supervisorial candidate concedes District 2 race

ATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” the center said in posting about his death on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. As reaction poured in from around the world, President Joe Biden mourned Carter’s death, saying the world lost an “extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian” and he lost a dear friend. Biden cited Carter’s compassion and moral clarity, his work to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless and advocacy for the disadvantaged as an example for others. “To all of the young people in this nation and for anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning – the good life – study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith, and humility,” Biden said in a statement. “He showed that we are a great nation because we are a good people – decent and honorable, courageous and compassionate, humble and strong.” Biden said he is ordering a state funeral for Carter in Washington. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors . He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners . He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. His mother, Lillian , would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year he married Rosalynn Smith, another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. His decision angered Rosalynn, even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox — and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. And in 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided, as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were no more talented than he was. In 1974, he ran Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy for 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. Walter “Fritz” Mondale as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and nonwhite people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015 . “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” Sanz is a former Associated Press reporter.Top 25 College Hoops Picks Against the Spread – Friday, November 22

— BIRTH NAME: James Earl Carter, Jr. — BORN: Oct. 1, 1924, at the Wise Clinic in Plains, Georgia, the first U.S. president born in a hospital. He would become the first president to live for an entire century . — EDUCATION: Plains High School, Plains, Georgia, 1939-1941; Georgia Southwestern College, Americus, Georgia, 1941-1942; Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, 1942-1943; U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, 1943-1946 (class of 1947); Union College, Schenectady, New York, 1952-1953. — PRESIDENCY: Sworn-in as 39th president of the United States at the age of 52 years, 3 months and 20 days on Jan. 20, 1977, after defeating President Gerald R. Ford in the 1976 general election. Left office on Jan. 20, 1981, following 1980 general election loss to Ronald Reagan. — POST-PRESIDENCY: Launched The Carter Center in 1982. Began volunteering at Habitat for Humanity in 1984. Awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Taught for 37 years at Emory University, where he was granted tenure in 2019, at age 94. — OTHER ELECTED OFFICES: Georgia state senator, 1963-1967; Georgia governor, 1971-1975. — OTHER OCCUPATIONS: Served in U.S. Navy, achieved rank of lieutenant, 1946-53; Farmer, warehouseman, Plains, Georgia, 1953-77. — FAMILY: Wife, Rosalynn Smith Carter , married July 7, 1946 until her death Nov. 19, 2023. They had three sons, John William (Jack), James Earl III (Chip), Donnel Jeffrey (Jeff); a daughter, Amy Lynn; and 11 living grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Source: Jimmy Carter Library & MuseumOmnicom Group is in advanced negotiations to acquire direct U.S. rival Interpublic Group in a deal that could merge two Madison Avenue giants and fundamentally recalibrate the advertising industry as it grapples with the ongoing decline of many of its traditional practices. The two companies could announce as early as Monday that Omnicom plans to purchase Interpublic in an all-stock deal that could value the latter at between $13 billion and $14 billion without debt, according to a person familiar with the situation. Representatives for Omnicom and Interpublic did not respond to queries seeking comment. The Wall Street Journal previously reported on the pact. The pact will bolster Omnicom's standing among a handful of large holding companies that dominate the sector, but have been struggling to develop new lines of revenue as the industry's best-known products — glitzy TV commercials and print ads — are seen as less effective in spurring consumer purchases and response. Omnicom is known for its longstanding relationships with blue-chip marketers such as PepsiCo and Apple, and houses units such as BBDO, TBWA Worldwide and Omnicom... Brian Steinberg

Jet crash disaster in South Korea marks another setback for BoeingWe all know what happens when voice acting goes wrong. There’s a reason your brain still reads "It's-a-me, Mario!" in Charles Martinet’s legendary voice, not whatever Chris Pratt’s doing (or isn’t doing) in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Paramount's Sonic the Hedgehog family flicks are playing the same adaptation game, but avoid making the same mistakes when it comes to gimmick casting that doesn’t benefit the role. That's the problem with celebrity stunt casting in animated movies and why it should be avoided — you sacrifice quality for a (hopeful) box office cheat code. Everyone's favorite Parks and Recreation brat isn't just Ben Schwartz-ing through Sonic's dialogue. The actor strives to honor Sonic's voice in past SEGA video games while putting his spin on a more juvenile character interpretation. There's an art to Schwartz's voice acting and acknowledgment of Sonic's prior iterations. Like Mario, Sonic's voice appears in television shows and video games when speech became more than 8-bit garble or speech synthesis. Why would you want to erase all that history and relation? The difference in quality between The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Sonic the Hedgehog film franchise depicts the stark contrast between memorable and forgettable revamps. Universal and Illumination's mushroom-eating adaptation opts for the aforementioned celebrity stunt castinga cold and transactional method focused on maximizing profits at all costs. Sonic the Hedgehog invests in transformative voice acting, where the draw isn't who's behind pixelated recordings but the characters on screen. It's an animated film's job to immerse audiences in fantastical worlds, which the hybrid live-action Sonic movies accomplish whether in the fictional town of Green Hills, modern-day Tokyo, or a digitized mushroom planet. That’s because no matter the backdrop, Schwartz and company want you to believe Sonic, Tails, and the whole gang are real. They don’t want the credit themselves. The Super Mario Bros. Movie boasts a stacked cast, but what do they bring to their character personalities? Jack Black grumbles and croons as a serviceable Bowser (Black himself is a cartoon character, so that checks out), but even impressionist Keegan-Michael Key's Toad is oddly flat. Luigi sounds like Charlie Day but vaguely New Yorker, Donkey Kong is straight-up Seth Rogen, Princess Peach is an unaltered Anya Taylor-Joy — there's no passion behind vocal development. It's the equivalent of dialogue cosplay if purchased on Temu, like slapping a novelty mustache on Chris Pratt while he holds a plunger. Meanwhile, Ben Schwartz has a motormouth zip about his words that matches Sonic's hyperspeed lifestyle. Schwartz can be hilarious as Sonic does his best Quicksilver from X-Men impression during slow-motion action scenes, but also heartfelt and emotional when Sonic faces insurmountable odds or learns everlasting lessons. There's depth to Schwartz's vocal performance that speaks to the values of professional voice acting, which is infinitely harder than it looks. You’re reading lines off scripts in silent isolation, unable to interact with co-stars who’ll share scenes with your pixelated and dubbed role — yet Schwartz makes it look easy. Sonic never feels out of place next to James Marsten or Jim Carrey, as Schwartz’s range, through sound only, hits more dimensions than live-action actors benefitting from all their theatrical tools. What's distracting and frustrating about The Super Mario Bros. Movie is how all the film's voices have countless reference points, none of which the studio cares to duplicate or reward. When novels or comic books are adapted to film, there's a freedom to cast without direct audible comparisons. But a video game series with hours upon hours of line readings from voice actors who are still readily available for role reprisals? It's not only disrespectful to the artists who've mastered their crafts and helped galvanize a studio's brand, but distracting from a fanbase standpoint. Slaslfilm’s BJ Colangelo makes a compelling case to "stop screwing with legacy characters," and she's right. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 takes its reverence for its source material a step farther,, introducing beloved animal buddies Miles "Tails" Prower and Knuckles the Echidna. Now, Tails has one of the more unique voices in the Sonic universe — so Paramount went right to the source by hiring Tails' voice actress since 2010, Colleen O'Shaughnessey. Knuckles eventually went to Idris Elba, but not as stunt casting. Elba's take on Knuckles understands the fight-first character, echoing his Drax-like barbarian mannerisms with a gruff warrior's tone. There's even a video of Elba wearing personalized Knuckles gloves during recording sessions so he can disappear into the role, which helps us forget there's an Englishman in a box somewhere reading lines. Then there's the casting of Keanu Reeve as Shadow in Sonic The Hedgehog 3. A handful of voice actors have put their spin on Shadow as a baddie and anti-hero, which Reeves manipulates into his John Wickian hedgehog. You can hear Reeves in Shadow's bluntness and gravel, but there's a more profound parallel. Shadow's history is one of coldness and tragedy at the hands of G.U.N., which Reeves handles with empathy. Reeves himself has dealt with unthinkable hardships throughout his life, tying this sympathetic bond between actor and character. Keanu Reeves isn’t playing Shadow the Hedgehog, he is Shadow the Hedgehog, and the parallels between actor and character help develop a well-rounded alien who is himself on screen, not the man behind the words (even if he sounds just like him). Each actor's connection to their colorful counterparts is the secret sauce that's elevated Paramount's Sonic franchise above other video game adaptations. The Super Mario Bros. Movie sold itself on the backs of Chris Pratt, Jack Black, and the entire ensemble cast. Sonic the Hedgehog has enlisted equally impressive stars, but these movies aren't about Keanu Reeves or Idris Elba. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Shadow are the stars — the characters are who we’re talking about after after the credits roll. When you watch any Sonic the Hedgehog after or before The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the debate over celebrity stunt casting falls apart. As an Italian, I laughed when Chris Pratt was announced as Mario but kept an open mind only to be proven wrong. As a Sonic fan who saw those nightmare first renderings of Sonic with teeth, I entered even more nervous — once again proven wrong. Paramount's voice cast choices have been aces thus far, endearing these movies to Sonic fans instead of pushing them away. Let's give kudos where appropriate — the fantastic voice actors selflessly bringing Sonic and his buddies to life on the big screen.