ATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who tried to restore virtue to the White House after the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, then rebounded from a landslide defeat to become a global advocate of human rights and democracy, has died. He was 100 years old . The Carter Center said the 39th president died Sunday afternoon, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died in November 2023, lived most of their lives. The center said 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. A moderate Democrat, Carter ran for president in 1976 as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad grin, effusive Baptist faith and technocratic plans for efficient government. His promise to never 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 said. Carter’s victory over Republican Gerald Ford, whose fortunes fell after pardoning Nixon, came amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over race, women’s rights and America’s role in the world. His achievements included brokering Mideast peace by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at Camp David for 13 days in 1978. But his coalition splintered under double-digit inflation and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His negotiations ultimately brought all the hostages home alive, but in a final insult, Iran didn’t release them until the inauguration of Ronald Reagan, who had trounced him in the 1980 election. Humbled and back home in Georgia, Carter said his faith demanded that he keep doing whatever he could, for as long as he could, to try to make a difference. He and Rosalynn co-founded The Carter Center in 1982 and spent the next 40 years traveling the world as peacemakers, human rights advocates and champions of democracy and public health. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, Carter helped ease nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiate cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, the center had monitored at least 113 elections around the world. Carter was determined to eradicate guinea worm infections as one of many health initiatives. Swinging hammers into their 90s, the Carters built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The common observation that he was better as an ex-president rankled Carter. His allies were pleased that he lived long enough to see biographers and historians revisit his presidency and declare it more impactful than many understood at the time. Propelled in 1976 by voters in Iowa and then across the South, Carter ran a no-frills campaign. Americans were captivated by the earnest engineer, and while an election-year Playboy interview drew snickers when he said he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times,” voters tired of political cynicism found it endearing. The first family set an informal tone in the White House, carrying their own luggage, trying to silence the Marine Band’s traditional “Hail to the Chief" and enrolling daughter, Amy, in public schools. Carter was lampooned for wearing a cardigan and urging Americans to turn down their thermostats. But Carter set the stage for an economic revival and sharply reduced America's dependence on foreign oil by deregulating the energy industry along with airlines, trains and trucking. He established the departments of Energy and Education, appointed record numbers of women and nonwhites to federal posts, preserved millions of acres of Alaskan wilderness and pardoned most Vietnam draft evaders. Emphasizing human rights , he ended most support for military dictators and took on bribery by multinational corporations by signing the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. He persuaded the Senate to ratify the Panama Canal treaties and normalized relations with China, an outgrowth of Nixon’s outreach to Beijing. But crippling turns in foreign affairs took their toll. When OPEC hiked crude prices, making drivers line up for gasoline as inflation spiked to 11%, Carter tried to encourage Americans to overcome “a crisis of confidence.” Many voters lost confidence in Carter instead after the infamous address that media dubbed his “malaise" speech, even though he never used that word. After Carter reluctantly agreed to admit the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979. Negotiations to quickly free the hostages broke down, and then eight Americans died when a top-secret military rescue attempt failed. Carter also had to reverse course on the SALT II nuclear arms treaty after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979. Though historians would later credit Carter's diplomatic efforts for hastening the end of the Cold war, Republicans labeled his soft power weak. Reagan’s “make America great again” appeals resonated, and he beat Carter in all but six states. Born Oct. 1, 1924, James Earl Carter Jr. married fellow Plains native Rosalynn Smith in 1946, the year he graduated from the Naval Academy. He brought his young family back to Plains after his father died, abandoning his Navy career, and they soon turned their ambitions to politics . Carter reached the state Senate in 1962. After rural white and Black voters elected him governor in 1970, he drew national attention by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” Carter published more than 30 books and remained influential as his center turned its democracy advocacy onto U.S. politics, monitoring an audit of Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results. After a 2015 cancer diagnosis, Carter said he felt “perfectly at ease with whatever comes.” “I’ve had a wonderful life,” he said. “I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” Sanz is a former Associated Press reporter.Chance of direct attack by Russia ‘remote’, says UK armed forces chief
The Social Security Administration recently announced the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2025, and beneficiaries can expect a 2.5% raise (amounting to around $50 per month for the average retiree) heading into next year. But that's not the only change coming for Social Security. A new year brings a slew of new income limits that could affect your benefit in several ways. While many of these changes will increase your monthly payment, some are not quite as beneficial -- especially if you're a higher-earning worker. Here's what you can expect heading into 2025. One big change affecting workers One income limit directly affecting your benefit amount is the maximum taxable earnings limit. This cap is the highest annual income subject to Social Security tax, and the closer your wages are to this limit, the higher your benefit will be. In 2024, the cap is $168,600 per year. Beginning in January 2025, though, it will increase to $176,100 per year. It's normal for the earnings limit to increase most years, as it's designed to keep pace with cost-of-living changes. For context, 20 years ago in 2004, the limit was only $87,900 per year. However, while these limits affect everyone, they can have a more significant impact on higher-earning individuals. If your earnings land at or above the limit, you'll face taxes on more of your income year after year. The increase in 2025 will perhaps have the biggest impact on those earning between $168,600 and $176,100 per year, as you'll face Social Security tax on income that wasn't previously taxed in 2024. At the current payroll tax rate of 12.4% (which includes both the employer and employee tax), that additional $7,500 in income will result in a tax bump of $930 per year. The good news about higher income limits While paying more in taxes may not be ideal, the silver lining is that it will result in a larger benefit down the road -- and you may even be able to snag the maximum monthly checks. In 2025, the maximum Social Security payment will be increasing from $4,873 per month to a whopping $5,108 per month. To earn this payment, there are three requirements you'll need to meet: work for at least 35 years, delay claiming benefits until age 70, and consistently reach the maximum taxable earnings limit. As the wage cap continues to rise year after year, it becomes more difficult to earn the highest possible Social Security benefit. But if you're earning enough to reach that income limit, you've already met what could be considered the most challenging hurdle to collecting this benefit. Simpler ways to boost your benefit What if you're not earning anywhere close to $176,100 per year? While that will unfortunately disqualify you from the maximum payment, you can still take steps to increase your benefit amount. Delaying claiming benefits is one way to earn higher payments. For every month you wait past age 62 , you'll receive a slightly larger check. Filing at your full retirement age (which is between ages 66 and 67, depending on your birth year) will earn you 100% of your benefit, while waiting until age 70 will result in a bonus of at least 24% on top of your full payment. The average retiree collects around $1,298 per month in benefits at age 62, according to December 2023 data from the Social Security Administration. At ages 67 and 70, that average jumps to $1,884 per month and $2,038 per month, respectively. Even if you can only delay benefits by a year or two, it can substantially increase the size of your checks. Working longer than 35 years is another option for boosting your payments. The first step of calculating your benefit involves taking an average of your wages throughout the 35 years of your career that you earned the most. Chances are you're probably earning more now than you were 35 years ago. Because only the top-earning years are included in your average, working more years with a higher income can replace some of the lower-earning years in your calculation -- resulting in a larger benefit. A higher maximum earnings limit in 2025 may raise your tax bill if you're a high earner, but it will also bring you closer to a larger maximum benefit amount for Social Security. Even if you're off track for that payment, small steps can go a long way toward boosting your checks each month.
The Lamb of God will have the lamb. The Jesus Christ origin story-series “The Chosen” will finally make it to The Last Supper in Season 5; on Monday, creator Dallas Jenkins gave fans a first look at how the series interpreted what his 5&2 Studios called “the most pivotal week in history.” Hard to argue with that. “ The Chosen : Last Supper (Season 5)” as it is officially titled will premiere in movie theaters via Fathom Events (in the U.S.) on March 27, 2025; Easter Sunday is April 9, 2025. Trafalgar Releasing is the international distributor. The fifth season of “The Chosen” will be released in three parts of two, three, and three episodes. The full season has booked a four-week run in the U.S. and Canada, and all episodes will be available throughout the entire run. In other words, you’re gonna have to buy three tickets. The day after Easter, on April 10, the first two episodes will roll out theatrically in more than 40 global territories, including Brazil, Mexico, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Poland, Philippines, and India, among others. Later in 2025, the season will make its streaming debut — the streaming plan, including the platforms, is still being worked out, we’re told. “I’m possibly more excited to bring Season 5 to the world than any other season we’ve done,” Jenkins, the creator and executive producer of “The Chosen,” said in a statement. “Unfortunately, it’s not coming until March, but that’s because it’s such a huge season and requires a ton of work. But I’m so thrilled to show this first glimpse of it with the poster and the teaser and for our fans to celebrate it on Teal Tuesday.” “The Chosen” started at Angel Studios, but a falling out over ownership took the series off of Angel’s slate (and its streaming service) and placed it on Fathom’s. Much like the crucifixion for Jesus, Season 5 is not the end: “The Chosen” is mapped out as a seven-season series. But for now... “The table is set. The people of Israel welcome Jesus (Jonathan Roumie) as King while his disciples anticipate his crowning. But — instead of confronting Rome — he turns the tables on the Jewish religious festival,” the Season 5 synopsis reads. “Their power threatened, the country’s religious and political leaders will go to any length to ensure this Passover meal is Jesus’ last.” Watch the Season 5 teaser here:
Rabbi missing in UAE as Israel fears he was kidnappedAustralia’s second innings has come to an early end on Day 5 with India’s superstar bowler Jasprit Bumrah firing down a stunning delivery to bowl Nathan Lyon for 41. Bumrah took out Lyon’s middle stump and ended Australia’s innings at 234 with India now chasing 340 for victory (and a series win). Watch the final day from 9.30am AEDT live and free on Seven and 7plus . Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Earlier, Australian players had kept their cards close to their chest about whether they would bat on or make an overnight declaration. But when Lyon and Scott Boland walked out to the middle of the MCG, the mystery was finally solved. MATCH CENTRE: All the stats from the Boxing Day Test However, with a healthy lead already established and a record run chase required for an India victory, the decision not to start Day 5 on the field mystified many. “I’m a bit surprised to be honest,” Aussie legend and star Seven commentator Ricky Ponting said. “I thought Australia would have pulled the pin and declared and got as much at India as they could today give themselves the best chance of winning the game. “They’re 333 runs ahead. We know it will be an all- time record if (they get that target). They have their reasons for it, having India in the field longer (and) as you know we have a slightly longer day today as well.” When commentator Tim Lane saw the Australians walking out to bat, he said “the answer to the question that has hung in the air overnight” had been answered. But Lane admitted a draw in this Test was “largely in India’s interest”. “That would mean Australia have to win the test in Sydney (to win the series),” Lane said. “We’re told that there is rain hanging around up in the Harbour City.” Bumrah finished the innings with 5-57 and nine wickets for the match. More to come ...Shoshone-Bannock Casino Hotel announces tree lighting event and Under The Streetlamp free concertTo Really Narrow Digital Divides, Canada Should Consistently Fund Adult Education Programs
'Horrendous' - Pundit savages two Everton players after what he saw them doing recentlyThrivent Financial for Lutherans acquired a new stake in Talen Energy Corporation ( NASDAQ:TLN – Free Report ) in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 48,306 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $8,610,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans owned about 0.09% of Talen Energy at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of TLN. Spirit of America Management Corp NY bought a new stake in shares of Talen Energy in the third quarter worth $214,000. World Equity Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Talen Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at about $237,000. Shikiar Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Talen Energy during the second quarter worth about $278,000. Guidance Capital Inc. bought a new stake in Talen Energy in the third quarter valued at about $348,000. Finally, Mount Yale Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Talen Energy during the third quarter valued at approximately $361,000. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Talen Energy Stock Down 2.6 % Shares of NASDAQ TLN opened at $214.20 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 3.37 and a current ratio of 4.10. Talen Energy Corporation has a 52-week low of $53.95 and a 52-week high of $222.49. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $157.41 and a 200 day moving average price of $117.08. The stock has a market cap of $10.89 billion and a P/E ratio of 11.42. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Get Our Latest Stock Report on Talen Energy Talen Energy Profile ( Free Report ) Talen Energy Corporation is a U.S.-based energy and power generation company. The Company owns or controls approximately 16,000 megawatts of capacity in wholesale power markets, principally in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Southwest regions of the United States. The Company generates and sells electricity, capacity and related products from power plants that use fuel sources, such as nuclear, natural gas and coal. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TLN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Talen Energy Corporation ( NASDAQ:TLN – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Talen Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Talen Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
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Controversial billionaire Elon Musk responded to speculation that MSNBC could be put up for sale , asking on Friday how much the cable news network would set him back. The Comcast media conglomerate announced Wednesday it planned to spin some of its NBCUniversal properties — including MSNBC, CNBC, USA, Oxygen and E! — into “a new publicly traded company.” The announcement prompted some social media users, including Donald Trump Jr., to suggest the world’s richest man should buy MSNBC . Many of the left-leaning network’s hosts, including Joe Scarborough, Rachel Maddow and Mika Brzezinski, have been critical of Musk and the MAGA movement he supports . “Hey @elonmusk I have the funniest idea ever!!!” Trump Jr. posted on Friday alongside a graphic joking that MSNBC would sell for the “best offer.” “How much does it cost?” replied Musk, whose net worth was estimated to have reached a record high of $321.7 billion on Friday. Musk’s response was very similar to the one he gave in 2017 when some social media users suggested he buy Twitter. Five years later, he spent $44 billion to purchase the platform , which he renamed X and has since used to promote his right-wing ideology and conspiracy theories . “I mean it can’t be much,” Trump Jr. wrote back. “Look at the ratings.” MSNBC viewership reportedly plummeted 38% after Election Day, according to The Wrap. Musk’s banter with Trump Jr. continued, with the entrepreneur writing, “The most entertaining outcome, especially if ironic, is most likely.” While Comcast made no mention of selling MSNBC to Musk , the big-spending tech wiz has proven he can take over companies despite resistance from their board of directors, just as he did with Twitter. Speculation about Musk buying a progressive cable news network comes a week after satirical site The Onion announced it had purchased Alex Jones’ far-right “InfoWars” empire in a bankruptcy auction. Jones was forced to sell the disgraced brand to satisfy a judgment against him in connection with the lies and conspiracy theories he pushed about the 2012 massacre at Connecticut’s Sandy Hook Elementary School . A Texas judge has delayed that acquisition while a court reviews details of the bidding process.Reeling after exposing widespread waste and mismanagement, Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives are scrambling to do damage control. Auditor general Shelley Spence castigated the Tories for an redevelopment conducted in a way that was “not fair, transparent or accountable” with a $2.237-billion price tag five to six times original estimates. In her annual report to the legislature Tuesday, the independent watchdog also found near schools and daycares was made “without proper planning.” Spence’s 941-page audit revealed government advertising tripled to $103.5 million in 2023-24 from $33.7 million in 2022-23 with ads designed “to promote the governing party” that would not have been approved before rules were loosened by former Liberal premier Kathleen Wynne in 2015. NDP Leader Marit Stiles said “in opposition, the Conservatives railed against” Wynne’s watering down of the advertising restrictions that Liberal Dalton McGuinty had introduced in 2004, but have changed their tune since winning power six years ago. “We remember that — the Minister of Health (Sylvia Jones) even tabled a bill on it. But in government, they’re more than happy to follow the Liberals’ lead,” Stiles said Wednesday. Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli made no apologies for the advertising binge. “Let me tell you about some of those ads that are running internationally as well. Our job is to bring business into Ontario, and we are marketing Ontario around the world — whether you are at an airport in Munich or watching a television station in the U.S.” said Fedeli. “As a result of that media and our push last year, 137 international companies landed in Ontario. They ... invested $11 billion into Ontario and hired 12,200 people,” he said. (On Monday, stateside against the backdrop of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s threat to slap 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian and Mexican products.) Pressed by reporters on the ad spending increase, Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy bristled. “I wouldn’t say shameless at all. I’m very proud of Ontario,” said Bethlenfalvy, touting S&P Global’s upgrading of the province’s credit rating to “AA-.” But Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie said Ford’s “tax and spend Conservatives” are wasting money for partisan purposes. “They’re out of control. They’re spending money to promote themselves,” said Crombie. With Ford skipping the legislature’s daily question — and avoiding an onslaught of opposition criticism about the audit — the health minister was forced to defend the Tories’ opioid strategy. Jones insisted closing 10 of 17 Ontario’s supervised consumption sites in favour of 19 Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) hubs is the right approach. “What our government will do is offer hope ... hope for people who are addicted to these deadly opioids,” she said. “We are offering a pathway out of addiction — and the auditor general actually said, ‘investing more in treatment, recovery, and housing is a positive development toward addressing the opioid crisis.’ We will get this done, because we know that you cannot simply ensure or allow people to continue to use drugs. We need to give them hope and a pathway out.” Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma was under the weather, so her parliamentary assistant, MPP Amarjot Sandhu (Brampton West), took the questions on the Ontario Place imbroglio that the NDP dubbed “the premier’s vanity project.” “For far too long, Ontario Place was neglected, left to deteriorate and underutilized. Our government took on the challenge to revitalize this iconic site and make it a thriving, accessible space for families, tourists and for future generations to come,” said Sandhu. The auditor pointed out the project, which will include a relocated Ontario Science Centre and a Therme waterpark and spa, was supposed to cost as little as $335 million and the tab has jumped sixfold in a process that appeared to be poorly supervised. While Stiles accused the Tories of propping up “a broke Austrian luxury spa company,” Therme rejected that assertion. “Therme Group is in a strong financial position. The lease requires Therme Group to have a net worth of $100 million,” the company said in a statement, referring to its , noting the audit shows it “met this financial test.”
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