JERUSALEM — Israel approved a United States-brokered ceasefire agreement with Lebanon's Hezbollah on Tuesday, setting the stage for an end to nearly 14 months of fighting linked to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. In the hours leading up to the Cabinet meeting, Israel carried out its most intense wave of strikes in Beirut and its southern suburbs and issued a record number of evacuation warnings. At least 24 people were killed in strikes across the country, according to local authorities, as Israel signaled it aims to keep pummeling Hezbollah in the final hours before any ceasefire takes hold. Israel's security Cabinet approved the ceasefire agreement late Tuesday after it was presented by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, 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. An Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire 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. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to bring peace to the Middle East, but neither he nor Netanyahu have proposed a postwar solution for the Palestinian territory, where Hamas is still holding dozens of hostages and the conflict is more intractable. 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 a series of 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, which backs both groups. “If Hezbollah breaks the agreement and tries to rearm, we will attack,” he said. “For every violation, we will attack with might.” Netanyahu's office later said Israel appreciated the U.S. efforts in securing the deal but "reserves the right to act against every threat to its security.” It was not immediately clear when the ceasefire would go into effect, and the exact terms of the deal were not released. The 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 all sides’ compliance. But implementation remains a major question mark. Israel has demanded the right to act should Hezbollah violate its obligations. Lebanese officials have rejected writing that into the proposal. 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.” Hezbollah has said it accepts the proposal, but a senior official with the group said Tuesday that 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” of Lebanon, he said. “Any violation of sovereignty is refused.” In this screen grab image from video provide by the Israeli Government Press Office, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes a televised statement Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, in Jerusalem, Israel. Even as Israeli, U.S, Lebanese and international officials have expressed growing optimism over a ceasefire, Israel has continued its campaign in Lebanon, which it says aims to cripple Hezbollah’s military capabilities. An Israeli strike on Tuesday leveled a residential building in the central Beirut district of Basta — the second time in recent days warplanes have hit the crowded area near the city’s downtown. At least seven people were killed and 37 wounded, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. Strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs killed at least one person and wounded 13, it said. Three people were killed in a separate strike in Beirut and three in a strike on a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon. Lebanese state media said another 10 people were killed in the eastern Baalbek province. Israel says it targets Hezbollah fighters and their infrastructure. Israel also struck a building in Beirut's bustling commercial district of Hamra for the first time, hitting a site that is around 400 meters (yards) from Lebanon’s Central Bank. There were no reports of casualties. The Israeli military said it struck targets in Beirut and other areas linked to Hezbollah's financial arm. The evacuation warnings covered many areas, including parts of Beirut that previously have not been targeted. The warnings, coupled with fear that Israel was ratcheting up attacks before a ceasefire, sent residents fleeing. Traffic was gridlocked, and some cars had mattresses tied to them. Dozens of people, some wearing their pajamas, gathered in a central square, huddling under blankets or standing around fires as Israeli drones buzzed loudly overhead. Hezbollah, meanwhile, kept up its rocket fire, triggering air raid sirens across northern Israel. 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 told The Associated Press that 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, saying it was showing support for the Palestinians, a day after Hamas carried out its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, triggering the Gaza war. Israel returned fire on Hezbollah, and the two sides have been exchanging barrages ever since. Israel escalated its campaign of 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. Associated Press reporters Lujain Jo and Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut contributed. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.WINNIPEG - Kyle Walters doesn’t believe losing a third consecutive Grey Cup means the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ roster should be blown up. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * WINNIPEG - Kyle Walters doesn’t believe losing a third consecutive Grey Cup means the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ roster should be blown up. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? WINNIPEG – Kyle Walters doesn’t believe losing a third consecutive Grey Cup means the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ roster should be blown up. The CFL club’s general manager told reporters at his year-end availability Tuesday that reaching a fifth straight championship game by overcoming lots of injuries was a big accomplishment. Even before Winnipeg’s recent 41-24 Grey Cup loss to the Toronto Argonauts, Walters said he was looking forward to next season. “I was excited for next year based on what I’m looking at, compared to years past, where we’ve got more young guys that have contributed that are under contract,” he said. “We’ve got more young players in the building. So, the idea of, ‘This is the end of the road. The team is in a free-for-all downward,’ I don’t think is accurate. “We have a good group of guys and we were in a one-point (Grey Cup) game with 10 minutes left ... before things went downhill.” The Blue Bombers started the season 0-4, moved to 2-6 and finished 11-7 to claim the West Division title. Star receiver Dalton Schoen, veteran linebacker Adam Bighill and backup quarterback Chris Streveler all suffered season-ending injuries and are pending free agents. Negotiating with the team’s 27 unsigned players could be impacted by moves across the league among coaches, personnel staff and players such as quarterbacks, Walters said. The Bombers have given permission for offensive coordinator Buck Pierce to speak to the B.C. Lions and Edmonton Elks about those teams’ vacant head-coaching jobs, he said. Walters also revealed the Ottawa Redblacks were given the go-ahead to talk to Richie Hall about their defensive coordinator vacancy. Hall was a Winnipeg defensive assistant this season after Jordan Younger took over from him as defensive coordinator. Walters said the Bombers received permission to speak to Lions offensive coordinator Jordan Maksymic in case Pierce leaves. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have already been given the OK to talk to Winnipeg assistant general managers Danny McManus and Ted Goveia about the Ticats’ GM opening. “You’re hesitant to have too much conversation with people who may not be in the organization next year, so it’s just been me and (head coach) Mike (O’Shea) in this moment huddled together and talking about next year,” Walters said. He said an NFL team had asked Tuesday morning to work out one Blue Bomber, but he didn’t reveal the player’s name in case he wasn’t aware of the request yet. The Blue Bombers won the Grey Cup in 2019 and ’21, but lost 28-24 to the Montreal Alouettes last year and 24-23 to Toronto in 2022. Winnipeg re-signed placekicker Sergio Castillo last week. Walters said he’d like to have deals done with three or four main players before the end of the year. The team has some up-and-coming young players inked for next year, and injuries gave others valuable experience on both sides of the ball, Walters said. Receivers such as rookie Ontaria Wilson (1,026 yards receiving in 18 games) and Keric Wheatfall (273 yards in seven games) are signed through next season. “The experience that they got was invaluable,” Walters said. Re-signing players who missed time because of injuries can get tricky. “Organizationally, can we approach (their agents) and say, ‘Well, your guy was hurt, he should come back for less money?’” Walters said. “Generally, they don’t view it like that. They view that they’ll be back 100 per cent.” Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. One question mark is the backup to starting quarterback Zach Collaros, who suffered a deep cut to the index finger of his throwing hand late in the third quarter of the Grey Cup. Collaros got five stitches and numbing agent applied to his finger. He returned with a bandage on it, but admitted he had a hard time gripping the ball. “We’ll have to find out who our offensive coordinator is first,” Walters said when asked who might be Collaros’s backup. Terry Wilson, who briefly replaced Collaros in the Grey Cup, and Jake Dolegala are signed for next year. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 26, 2024. Advertisement Advertisement
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Oklahoma's Zac Alley joins Rich Rodriguez's West Virginia staff as defensive coordinatorJERUSALEM — Israel approved a United States-brokered ceasefire agreement with Lebanon's Hezbollah on Tuesday, setting the stage for an end to nearly 14 months of fighting linked to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. In the hours leading up to the Cabinet meeting, Israel carried out its most intense wave of strikes in Beirut and its southern suburbs and issued a record number of evacuation warnings. At least 24 people were killed in strikes across the country, according to local authorities, as Israel signaled it aims to keep pummeling Hezbollah in the final hours before any ceasefire takes hold. Israel's security Cabinet approved the ceasefire agreement late Tuesday after it was presented by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, 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. An Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire 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. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to bring peace to the Middle East, but neither he nor Netanyahu have proposed a postwar solution for the Palestinian territory, where Hamas is still holding dozens of hostages and the conflict is more intractable. 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 a series of 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, which backs both groups. “If Hezbollah breaks the agreement and tries to rearm, we will attack,” he said. “For every violation, we will attack with might.” Netanyahu's office later said Israel appreciated the U.S. efforts in securing the deal but "reserves the right to act against every threat to its security.” It was not immediately clear when the ceasefire would go into effect, and the exact terms of the deal were not released. The 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 troopsand U.N. peacekeepers would deploy in the south, and an international panel headed by the United States would monitor all sides’ compliance. But implementation remains a major question mark. Israel has demanded the right to act should Hezbollah violate its obligations. Lebanese officials have rejected writing that into the proposal. 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.” Hezbollah has said it accepts the proposal, but a senior official with the group said Tuesday that 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” of Lebanon, he said. “Any violation of sovereignty is refused.” Even as Israeli, U.S, Lebanese and international officials have expressed growing optimism over a ceasefire, Israel has continued its campaign in Lebanon, which it says aims to cripple Hezbollah’s military capabilities. An Israeli strike on Tuesday leveled a residential building in the central Beirut district of Basta — the second time in recent days warplanes have hit the crowded area near the city’s downtown. At least seven people were killed and 37 wounded, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. Strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs killed at least one person and wounded 13, it said. Three people were killed in a separate strike in Beirut and three in a strike on a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon. Lebanese state media said another 10 people were killed in the eastern Baalbek province. Israel says it targets Hezbollah fighters and their infrastructure. Israel also struck a building in Beirut's bustling commercial district of Hamra for the first time, hitting a site that is around 400 meters (yards) from Lebanon’s Central Bank. There were no reports of casualties. The Israeli military said it struck targets in Beirut and other areas linked to Hezbollah's financial arm. The evacuation warnings covered many areas, including parts of Beirut that previously have not been targeted. The warnings, coupled with fear that Israel was ratcheting up attacks before a ceasefire, sent residents fleeing. Traffic was gridlocked, and some cars had mattresses tied to them. Dozens of people, some wearing their pajamas, gathered in a central square, huddling under blankets or standing around fires as Israeli drones buzzed loudly overhead. Hezbollah, meanwhile, kept up its rocket fire, triggering air raid sirens across northern Israel. 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 told The Associated Press that 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, saying it was showing support for the Palestinians, a day after Hamas carried out its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, triggering the Gaza war. Israel returned fire on Hezbollah, and the two sides have been exchanging barrages ever since. Israel escalated its campaign of 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. Associated Press reporters Lujain Jo and Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut contributed.Alec Baldwin goes off on ‘uninformed’ Americans, female directors and wife’s ‘trauma’
Researchers from a local university are conducting a community-led research project to map the drug crisis in Surrey. Michael Ma, PhD and Tara Lyons, PhD from Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) are working with the Surrey Union of Drug Users (SUDU) to highlight "the lack of specific research on Surrey’s toxic drug supply crisis, harm reduction and the regulation of people who use drugs," notes a KPU news release Tuesday (Dec. 10). Surrey had the second-highest number of drug overdose deaths in the province for the first nine months of 2024, according to the . Gina Egilson, a board member at SUDU, said, "Surrey's losing more and more people to toxic drug overdoses, with at least four to five people dying every week." “There's a deep urgency to improve the system through more support and resources in Surrey. This research will be an empowering skill-building opportunity that will help guide SUDU's advocacy." In an , Ma noted that the majority of research on overdoses in B.C. is focused on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, even though most overdoses have occurred in Vancouver, Surrey and Victoria. “For too many years there hasn't been enough focus on the escalating drug crisis in Surrey,” Ma said. “So we want to try to build more capacity and support in Surrey through resources, funding and infrastructure.” The project will draw from people with lived experience of substance use, who will take an "active role as participants and collaborators in the research," notes the KPU release. “This research is just not for pure scholarly academic reasons. It’s a community development project that has a research component. It can be leveraged for social action to generate new social, economic and political policy that could benefit people who are suffering, being misunderstood or being under-researched,” Ma said. Pete Woodrow, a board member at SUDU, said, “I've never seen this kind of collaboration between people of lived experience and established researchers." “It not only creates a bridge of understanding between two groups that would not normally have contact, it also gives us an opportunity to gain a greater handle on where services are most needed. So often the intent of help falls short or misses the mark due to the lack of a proper map of marginalized population.” Lyons added, “We don’t see people as objects of study in the work we're doing. They're experts who are guiding the kind of questions we're going to ask and how we will communicate the information.” A $339,159 grant from the will help fund this project.Homelessness sector workers are sounding the alarm about the Ontario government’s new legislation to tackle homeless encampments, arguing that crackdowns against public drug use and heavier penalties for trespassing in places like parks could result in jails being used as de-facto shelters. In response to dozens of Ontario mayors calling for aid to address growing homelessness provincewide, Premier Doug Ford on Thursday promised more than $75 million in new housing spending, while proposing to give police and provincial offences officers more power to order people using drugs in public to stop or move along — lest they face a fine up of to $10,000 or months in a jail cell. The province is also proposing to let courts to more steeply penalize people engaging in “continuous trespassing,” as well as those seen by the court as likely to trespass again. “People are angry at encampments. I totally get it. I don’t want people in encampments, I want them in housing,” said Diana Chan McNally, a Toronto-based community worker. “But that said, it’s not their fault they ended up in the most traumatizing situation and survival that you can imagine.” She knows the provincial crackdown comes at a time of considerable public frustration with how homelessness has ballooned from overstrained shelters into shared public spaces, from parks and sidewalks to emergency rooms and library branches. But she was baffled by the heftier fines, which she said would likely go unpaid. “If they had $10,000, they would not be homeless.” Since the spring, Toronto has seen its encampment count grow from around 200 to more than 500 tents, as the shelter system has turned away hundreds of people each day — 225 on the average day in October. Sarah Ovens, a case manager at All Saints Church Community Centre in Moss Park, recognizes the sight of people in the throes of mental health crises on the street can be “alarming” for other city-dwellers. But she sees decades-long underinvestment in social services and affordable housing interventions as the culprit, rather than individual choices — pointing to factors like social assistance rates that fall well short of the cost of living. “I’m afraid that it’s going to get worse,” she said of the new legislation. While Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow has argued a heavier-handed approach to homeless encampments risks scattering people to places like transit lines and ravines, many Ontario mayors on Thursday reiterated their support for Ford’s efforts around reducing visible substance use in particular. “Illicit drugs and particularly opioids such as fentanyl used in public spaces in encampments are a serious community safety threat. There is a clear risk to families and children that live around the growing number of encampments in Ontario,” Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown was quoted as saying in the provincial news release. Homeless sector workers, meanwhile, argued that enforcement against encampments will be more expensive than focusing squarely on increasing housing options, including specialized housing sites with embedded support services for those dealing with mental health and addiction challenges. “You’ll be spending a lot more money on police, courts and hospitals as you chase homeless people around repeatedly, over and over again, without solving the underlying problems,” warned Tim Richter, head of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness. “You can arrest people and put them into jail for open drug use, but then they’ll be released back into homelessness.” Andrew Boozary, a Toronto physician and professor at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, pointed out that a month-long incarceration for a single person cost the public more than $12,000 compared with around $4,000 to operate a single supportive housing unit. “Housing is a matter of human dignity and sound health economics,” Boozary said. In his work at a Toronto drop-in, the correctional system was already described by a colleague as the “de-facto” mental health system, Boozary said. The Star has previously reported that , up to 24.4 per cent in 2020 from 13.4 per cent in 2015. If Toronto wants hope of clawing out of its current crisis, housing sector workers, advocates and experts have repeatedly stressed that housing is the answer — pointing to examples such as Finland, which through a long-term effort to create lower-cost housing, including homes with specialized supports. In Toronto, demand for housing vastly outstrips availability, with nearly 93,000 households waiting for subsidized housing, plus more than 28,000 individuals waiting for supportive housing. The housing spending unveiled Thursday includes $5.5 million for , as well as $20 million for and semi-permanent living set-ups, and $50 million for affordable housing developments. Based on past city estimates, the extra $5.5 million in subsidies provincewide could help house at least 440 people. But looking at the scale of the crisis, Chan McNally and others argue a much more robust intervention is needed to bring encampments down long-term. “At the end of the day,” Richter said, “the only solution to this is a home.”
Following the Mass, the school and families gathered at the school grounds for the announcements of the academic, sports and life skills awards. Grade six student, Regina Williams (10) was delighted to receive the school’s Dux or Most Outstanding Student award – the Quincy Tuiravakai Memorial trophy. “I felt really excited, I wanted to jump,” said Williams. “I want to thank my favourite cousin Desiree (Taurarii), she’s been helping me with my homework, and my family.” This year, thanks to the PTA (Parents, Teachers Association), every child received a small gift so no child would miss out. Reflecting on the changes and challenges in her first year as principal, Anna Rauru expressed her gratitude to the teachers and the education community, to the parents and the PTA (Parents, Teachers Association). “You are all incredible, a dedicated and hardworking team. I appreciate your expertise, encouragement and mostly your support for our students. Thank you, may God bless you all and your families,” she said. “We have a great leadership team which thrives on change, diversity and progress. The team is focussed on learning, using current theory and evidence to improve professional practice. “The teaching and learning programmes continue to progress and acquire achievements despite the ever changing social, learning and emotional needs that we are confronted with. “The world our students are stepping into is very different to the world we, or parents stepped into when leaving school. It is critical that we provide an education that prepares our students for their future, and enables them to embrace diversity.” Rauru said next year further developments are in the pipeline when the refreshed curriculum for English and Mathematics is trialled. She was impressed with the learners. “They have all progressed very much, spiritually, educationally and socially. I’m proud of each and every one of you and it’s important to remember that no matter what, we celebrate all the achievements of our children, and support them to be the best that they can be. Our learners are what makes our school special.” Sadly, this is Sister Luisa Nava’s last year at St Joseph’s. She has been a part of the school community for eight years and has been a great asset for the school. Following the academic awards the students staged a well presented biblical play. Students and families then enjoyed refreshments together. Melina Etches St Joseph’s School Year 3 – Year 6 awards. Year 3 Awards: Literacy and Māori - Alesi Ralulu; Māori and Attendance - Tama Maxwell; Special Māori Award - Tamanui Savage Maui; English ad Numeracy - Prince Jonald Carbonera; Spelling - James Short; Theme Studies - Afanaisa Bogitini; Religious Education - Luka Rose Akava; Diligence - Temana Toa and Lindsay Reese Uayan; Most Improved Student: Liam Maruariki and Lachlan Berry; Environment - Daniel Tiaiti; Leadership - Fetia Matakino. Year 4 Awards: Literacy and Religious Education - Teruina Elisa; English and Numeracy - Frederick Vaurasi; Māori and Diligence - Taurian Utanga; Theme Studies - Saileon Sijp. Special award for Māori, attendance and neatness - Maine Rebollos; Most Improved Student Award - Rimaira Cowan; Environment Award - Raphaella Kavana; Leadership Award - William Taripo. Overall Outstanding Student - Teruina Elisa, Runner-up Outstanding Student - Taurian Utanga. Year 5 Awards. Literacy and Māori - Karl Ingaua; Numeracy - Beniamina Tuteru; Theme Studies and Diligence awards - Jespina Van Eijk; Religious Education - John Saunivalu. Diligence and Leadership - Isaiah Vaurasi; Spelling - Mike Tabirao; Most Improved Student - Max Fonorito; Environment Award - Randolph George and Stanley Putaura. Overall Outstanding Student - Karl Ingaua; Runner-up Outstanding Students - Beniamina Tuteru and Denzel Tupa Nicholas. Year 6 awards: Dux – Overall Outstanding Student in Year 6 – Regina Williams received the Quincy Tuiravakai Memorial trophy and prizes; Runner-up Outstanding Student Bishop Paul Donoghue trophy – equal Patrina Tua and Desiree Taurarii; Life Skills and Inclusive Educative - Tuira Purua and Roseline Aue; Literacy, Theme studies and Diligence - Iokimi and Anna Narovu; Māori and Theme studies - Michelle Williams; English Reading - Ron Crocombe; Numeracy and Religious Education - Desiree Taurarii; Diligence - Elleina Napa; Most Improved Student - Charma Puia and Ngaara Tuake; Most Well Mannered - Anne Marie Elisa; Environment Award - Alana Lockington and Metua Peua; Leadership Award - Gabral Tiaore; Sportsman/Sportswoman - Elijah Ta’ala and Joelyn Hill. Father Freddy Kaina and Bishop and Bishop Reynaldo Getalado presented the awards to the Year 6 students.(Bloomberg) -- SEC Chair Gary Gensler, whose ambitious agenda drew fierce resistance from Wall Street and the crypto industry, plans to step down on Jan. 20. “The Securities and Exchange Commission is a remarkable agency,” Gensler said in a statement on Thursday. “The staff and the commission are deeply mission-driven, focused on protecting investors, facilitating capital formation and ensuring that the markets work for investors and issuers alike.” His departure will leave the SEC in the hands of an acting chair who’s expected to be either Mark Uyeda or Hester Peirce — both Republican commissioners. Gensler, a self-described “markets guy” appointed by President Joe Biden in 2021, has pursed an aggressive agenda highlighted by climate-risk disclosures, stock-trading reforms and crackdowns on crypto scofflaws. Some of his regulations will leave a lasting imprint on finance. Others have been stymied in conservative courts. The Trump administration’s coming pick for SEC chair could try to further unwind Gensler’s signature rules and take a more crypto-friendly approach to enforcement. Gensler’s policy achievements include speeding up the settlement time for US stock trades and a new regulation that will result in trillions of dollars more in US Treasury market transactions to be centrally cleared each day. Corporate insiders also face stricter disclosures and rules for stock sales. Some of the pillars of Gensler’s agenda faced legal challenges, however. The SEC in March published sweeping rules calling on businesses to reveal details about their greenhouse-gas emissions and how climate change could affect their bottom lines. The agency froze the rules in April after multiple lawsuits. A federal judge on Thursday struck down new SEC rules that would have required some Wall Street firms to register as dealers in the Treasury market. Hedge funds had sued in March to block the regulations, saying they were too broad and could harm the market. “His tenure should be thought of as extraordinarily ambitious in terms of scope of issues he wanted to focus on,” said Tyler Gellasch, head of the Healthy Markets Association, a trade group that includes pension funds and others. “That agenda ran face first into an onslaught of litigation.” Crypto Landscape Trump’s SEC will probably ease enforcement against brokers, banks and hedge funds for using third-party messaging apps to communicate. The digital-asset industry could experience a sea change in policy. Gensler doggedly pursued crypto fraudsters, as well as companies like Coinbase Global Inc. and proprietary trading behemoth DRW Holdings for failing to register with the agency. The industry had pushed back hard, saying he had provided no real way for the nascent asset class to fit within decades-old structures. Gensler was frequently criticized by the industry for clamping down on the market instead of making clear how to play by the rules. “My mom always told me if I didn’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. So I’m just gonna sit this one out,” Coinbase Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal wrote on X after Gensler announced his pending departure. Trump, who embraced cryptocurrency during his campaign, told supporters earlier this year he would fire Gensler on “day one.” Robinhood Markets Inc. legal chief Dan Gallagher, former SEC Commissioner Paul Atkins, and Robert Stebbins, a partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher, have been considered to be possible Trump picks to lead the agency, Bloomberg News reported earlier this month. --With assistance from Ben Bain. (Updates with details about Gensler’s policies, reaction to departure.) More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com ©2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Washington : Mexico and Canada have hit back at Donald Trump’s tariff plans, warning about the potential economic impact and urging the president-elect to choose cooperation over the prospect of retaliatory trade wars. In an ominous but unsurprising development on Monday, Trump announced on social media that he intended to slap heavy tariffs on America’s neighbours and top trading partners as soon as he returns to the White House in January. Donald Trump speaks on the southern border with Mexico in August. Only a fraction of his “beautiful wall” was built during his first term – and mainly to replace older dilapidated sections. Credit: AP Under the plan, Trump says a 25 per cent tariff would be imposed on Canada to the north and Mexico at the southern border unless they crack down on drugs and illegal immigrants coming into the US. In addition, he threatened that China would receive “an additional 10 per cent tariff” on top of tariffs already in place on Chinese goods unless the country implements the death penalty for drug dealers connected to the fentanyl trade. But as global markets digested the news, Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum warned the tariff hike would fail to curb illegal migration or the consumption of illicit drugs in the US. Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said the tariffs would hurt her country and the US. Credit: Getty Images She also described the plan as “unacceptable” and something that “would cause inflation and job losses in Mexico and the United States”. “One tariff will follow another and so on, until we put our common businesses at risk,” Sheinbaum said in a letter to Trump, which she read at her daily press conference and planned to send to the president-elect later in the day. “Dialogue is the best path to achieve understanding, peace and prosperity for our two countries ... I hope our teams can meet soon.” Mexico is currently the United States’ top trade partner, representing 15.8 per cent of total trade, followed by Canada at 13.9 per cent. Loading But Trump made it clear during his election campaign that he would readily use tariffs as leverage to tackle the tide of illegal immigrants coming into America. After Trump’s social media post, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke to the president-elect as he sought to tamp down concerns about the potential impact on his country’s economy. Trevor Tombe, an economist who authored a report on the consequences of US tariffs on Canada’s economy, warned a recession was likely if Trump followed through on the 25 per cent tariff. The country’s premiers have warned a trade war would cause immense damage to their respective economies, while the Canadian dollar fell to its lowest level since May 2020. Trudeau, who has called an emergency meeting with worried provincial premiers for Wednesday (Thursday AEDT), told reporters he had a “good call” with Trump. Then-president Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2019. Credit: AP “We obviously talked about laying out the facts, talking about how the intense and effective connections between our two countries flow back and forth,” he said. “This is a relationship that we know takes a certain amount of working on, and that’s what we’ll do.” In an echo of Trump’s politics, Trudeau initiated a U-turn on immigration, restricting flows of new migrants. He said last week Canada’s system had been exploited by “bad actors”. Trump’s vision for tariff hikes on Mexico, Canada and China were laid out in a Truth Social post on Monday night. Loading “On January 20th, as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on ALL products coming into the United States, and its ridiculous Open Borders,” he said. In a follow-up post, he also announced that the US “will be charging China an additional 10% Tariff, above any additional Tariffs, on all of their many products coming into the United States of America”. The reason, he said, was China’s failure to curb the number of drugs entering the US. China is a major producer of precursor chemicals that are acquired by Mexican drug cartels and others to manufacture fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that accounts for about 70 per cent of all drug overdoses in the US. “Representatives of China told me that they would institute their maximum penalty, that of death, for any drug dealers caught doing this but, unfortunately, they never followed through, and drugs are pouring into our Country, mostly through Mexico, at levels never seen before,” Trump said. Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for the weekly What in the World newsletter here . Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. License this article US Votes 2024 US border battle USA Donald Trump Canada Mexico Farrah Tomazin is the North America correspondent for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald. Connect via Twitter or email . Most Viewed in World Loading
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Mark Scheifele scored a goal, which eventually stood as the game winner, and Kyle Connor tallied two assists for the Winnipeg Jets, as they took down the Chicago Blackhawks, 4-2.LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Voters dejected by the presidential election results need to find a way to give back and remain involved, Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton said Saturday as they celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Clinton presidential library. The former president urged audience members in a packed theater to remain engaged and find ways to communicate with those they disagree with despite a divisive political time. The two spoke about a month after former President Donald Trump’s win over Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election. “We’re just passing through, and we all need to just calm down and do something that builds people up instead of tears them down,” Bill Clinton said. Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state who was defeated by Trump in the 2016 election, said she understands the next couple of years are going to be challenging for voters who don’t agree with the decisions being made. “In addition to staying involved and staying aware, it’s important to find something that makes you feel good about the day because if you’re in a constant state of agitation about our political situation, it is really going to shorten your life,” she said. The Clintons spoke during a panel discussion with journalist Laura Ling, who the former president helped free in 2009 when she was detained in North Korea with another journalist. The event was held as part of a weekend of activities marking the 20th anniversary of the Clinton Presidential Library’s opening in Little Rock. The library is preparing to undergo an update of its exhibits and an expansion that will include Hillary Clinton’s personal archives. Hillary Clinton said part of the goal is to modernize the facility and expand it to make it a more open, inviting place for people for convene and make connections. When asked about advice he would give for people disappointed by the election results, Bill Clinton said people need to continue working toward bringing people together and improving others’ lives. “If that’s the way you keep score, then you ought to be trying to run up the score,” he said. “Not lamenting the fact that somebody else is winning a different game because they keep score a different way.” “And in addition, figure out what we can do to win again,” Hillary Clinton added, eliciting cheers. The program featured a panel discussion with cast members of the hit NBC show “The West Wing” and former Clinton White House staffers. The weekend amounted to a reunion of former Clinton White House staffers, supporters and close friends, including former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe and adviser James Carville. McAuliffe said he and Carville ate Friday at Doe’s Eat Place, a downtown restaurant that was popular with Clinton aides and reporters during Clinton’s 1992 White House run. He said he viewed the library and its planned expansion as important for the future. “This is not only about the past, but it’s more importantly about the future,” McAuliffe said. “We just went through a very tough election, and people are all saying we’ve got to get back to the Clinton model.” More articles from the BDN
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Republicans Rally Around Hegseth, Trump's Pentagon Pick, as Gaetz Withdraws for Attorney GeneralIT’S finally time for the most important day in gaming’s calendar, The Game Awards, where announcements, reveals, trailers, and, of course, awards are shown. Hosted by Geoff Keighley, not only will the best games of 2024 receive their accolades, but we’ll gain insights into the biggest upcoming games. Expect there to be plenty of huge reveals of unannounced games, and more trailers for games we know about. Astro Bot and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth are nominated for the most awards this year, but other games like Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree have also received a number of nominations. If you want to keep up with all the trailers and awards as they are announced, we’ll have everything you need. Here are all the biggest announcements from The Game Awards 2024 as they happen. a minute ago By Georgina Young Neva wins Games for Impact Games for Impact celebrates games with a social message, and Neva from the team behind Gris scooped this one up. Here are all of the nominees: Closer the Distance Indika Neva Life Is Strange: Double Exposure Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Tales of Kenzera: Zau Copy link Copied 3 minutes ago By Georgina Young Faker, League of Legends and T1 clean up in the esports categories There weren't any surprises in the esports categories. Here are all of the nominees and winners. Counter Strike 2 DOTA 2 League of Legends Mobile Legends Bang Bang Valorant 33 Aleksib Chovy Faker Zywoo Zmjjkk Bilibili Gen.G Navi T1 Team Liquid Copy link Copied 10 minutes ago By Georgina Young Batman takes home Best VR game It's not a very popular category, but VR games are still pushing the boundaries of the platform. Batman: Arkham Shadow was undoubtedly the best VR game this year taking home the award. Here are all of the nominees: Arizona Sunshine Remake Asgard’s Wrath 2 Batman: Arkham Shadow Metal Hellsinger VR Metro Awakening VR Copy link Copied 12 minutes ago By Georgina Young Tekken 8 wins best fighting game While the crowd cheered loudly for Marvel vs Capcom, Tekken 8 took home the crown. Tekken director and producer Katsuhiro Harada was there to pick up the award. Here are all of the nominees: Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising Marvel Vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics MultiVersus Tekken 8 Copy link Copied 14 minutes ago By Georgina Young Ninja Gaiden returns Ninja Gaiden in a game from the team behind Streets of Rage 4. Ninja Gaiden Ragebound will launch in 2025. Ninja Gaiden is making a comeback Credit: Koei Tecmo Copy link Copied 18 minutes ago By Georgina Young It's time The Game Awards pre-show is about to begin with the pre-show. That means the first trailers, announcements, and awards are incoming. Copy link Copied 34 minutes ago By Georgina Young Who will win at The Game Awards 2024? We won’t know who the big winners are until the show starts, but we did give The Game Awards winner predictions based on our expert opinions. Naturally, the games with the most nominations are likely to pick up the most awards, and we expect all of The Game of the Year nominees to pick up at least one prize. Copy link Copied 49 minutes ago By Georgina Young What won’t we see at The Game Awards 2024? There are a number of studios and publishers that don’t usually feature trailers during The Game Awards. Don’t expect anything about GTA 6 . It’s expected to be the biggest game of 2025, and Rockstar doesn’t need the added publicity of The Game Awards to showcase it. Rockstar is more likely to give more information about GTA 6 in one of its own showcases. We also don’t expect to see anything from Nintendo’s first-party studios or an unveiling of the Switch 2 . Nintendo also presents new consoles and games as part of its own events, and historically has not appeared at The Game Awards. Copy link Copied 12th Dec 2024, 23:47 By Georgina Young Which games will be showcased at The Game Awards 2024? The Game Awards like to keep things a surprise, but some publishers have teased upcoming games. Gearbox has confirmed that it’ll be showing more of the much anticipated Borderlands 4, and Hangar 13 will show more from Mafia: The Old Country. One of the bigger trailers to appear is Civilization 7 from Firaxis, one of the most anticipated games of next year. Hazelight Studios, the team that made 2021 Game of the Year award winner It Takes Two, will show off their next title. Third-person shooter Mecha Break has teased a TGA 2024 announcement, as well as updates for ongoing games. Zenless Zone Zero, Stalcraft: X, Warframe: 1999, and Tekken 8 will all share updates with fans. Borderlands is making a comeback Credit: Gearbox Copy link Copied 12th Dec 2024, 23:35 By Georgina Young Grab free in-game items by watching on Steam The Game Awards is streaming live via Steam and there are some benefits if you watch it this way. By going through The Game Awards' Steam page , you can grab in-game items for games like No Man's Sky and Helldivers 2. All you need to do is watch while logged into your Steam account, and the in-game items will automatically unlock. Copy link Copied 12th Dec 2024, 23:30 By Georgina Young What are The Game Awards categories and nominees? There are 30 categories at The Game Awards, including Best Art Direction, Best Score, Best Narrative, and Most Anticipated Game. There are also categories for best game in each genre, as well as a number of esports awards. Astro Bot and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth have been nominated for seven awards each, while Metaphor: ReFantazio is right behind it with six nominations. If you want to see the nominees for every category, you can check out our The Game Awards all nominees guide. Astro Bot puts the 'ah' in adorable Credit: Tean Asobi Copy link Copied 12th Dec 2024, 23:16 By Georgina Young Which games have been nominated for Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2024? Six games have been nominated for Game of the Year, and all of them have received multiple nominations in other categories. The games cover a wide variety of genres, from 3D platformer Astro Bot to turn-based RPG Metaphor: ReFantazio. Poker roguelike Balatro is the only indie game on the list, but Black Myth: Wukong is also the first triple-A game from Game Science. Shadow of the Erdtree is also the first DLC that has been nominated for Game of the Year. If you want to know more about each game, you can read our reviews by clicking on the links. Here’s the full list. Astro Bot Balatro Black Myth: Wukong Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Metaphor: ReFantazio Copy link Copied 12th Dec 2024, 23:01 By Georgina Young How to watch The Game Awards 2024? The Game Awards will be streamed live on YouTube on The Game Awards’ official YouTube channel. If you can’t catch the award show live, the same link will redirect to a VOD of the show after it has finished. Copy link Copied 12th Dec 2024, 22:47 By Georgina Young What time is The Game Awards 2024? The Game Awards has a strange streaming structure, where the stream starts an hour before the official award show. There is also a pre-show that takes place 30 minutes before the official show, which includes trailers and awards but does not take place on the main stage. Our times line up with when the pre-show starts, but if you’re just interested in the stage show you can start watching 30 minutes later. Here is when you can watch The Game Awards: Thursday, December 12, 2024 4:30pm PT (Western US) 7:30pm ET (Eastern US) Friday, December 13, 2024 12:30am GMT (UK time) 1:30am CET (Central Europe) 9:30am JST (Japan time) 11:30am AEDT (Eastern Australia) 1:30pm NZDT (New Zealand time) Copy link Copied
Plateau State Governor, Barr. Caleb Mutfwang has dismissed rumours circulating on social media that he has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Governor Mutfwang in a press statement issued in Jos by his Director of Press Dr Gyang Bere described the claims as the handiwork of mischief makers and agents of division, aimed at misleading the public about his political allegiance and unwavering commitment to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). The Governor specifically condemned the doctored content being circulated, which falsely depicted his image alongside APC governors, purportedly preparing to welcome President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to Edo State. He pointed out that the fabrication was a deliberate ploy to create confusion and cast doubt on his loyalty to the PDP. Mutfwang reiterated his steadfast dedication to serving the people of Plateau State under the PDP, the platform through which he earned the people’s mandate. He categorically stated that he has never contemplated leaving the PDP for any other political party. He also reassured PDP members in Plateau State and the North Central Zone that consultations with critical stakeholders are ongoing to resolve lingering issues affecting the party in the zone. Highlighting the success of the recent PDP Governors’ meeting hosted in Plateau State, the Governor emphasized that it reflected the principles of equity, justice, and fairness envisioned by the party’s founding fathers. Governor Mutfwang further reaffirmed his commitment to collaborating with the Federal Government, led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in the collective interest of Plateau State’s development.
WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court on Friday stepped into a major legal fight over the $8 billion a year the federal government spends to subsidize phone and internet services in schools, libraries and rural areas, in a new test of federal regulatory power. The justices will review an appellate ruling that struck down as unconstitutional the Universal Service Fund. The Federal Communications Commission collects money from telecommunications providers, who then pass the cost on to their customers. A conservative advocacy group, Consumer Research, challenged the practice. The justices had previously denied two appeals from Consumer Research after federal appeals courts upheld the program. But the full 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, among the nation’s most conservative, ruled 9-7 that the method of funding is unconstitutional. The Biden administration appealed that ruling, but the case probably won't be argued until late March. At that point, the Trump administration will be in place and it not clear whether it will take a different view of the issue. The 5th Circuit held that the funding method is unconstitutional because Congress has given too much authority to the FCC and the agency in turn has ceded too much power to a private entity. The last time the Supreme Court invoked what is known as the non-delegation doctrine to strike down a federal law was in 1935. But several conservative justices have suggested they are open to breathing new life into the legal doctrine. ___
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As Americans are beyond burned out, Tricia Hersey’s Nap Ministry preaches the right to restPLAINS, 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.” Defying expectations 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.” ‘Country come to town’ 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.” A ‘leader of conscience’ on race and class 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 was Carter's closest advisor 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. Reevaluating his legacy 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. Pilgrimages to Plains 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.
BEEKMANTOWN — Whether they were driving into the wind or with it, the Greenwich Witches found ways to score Saturday. Despite a frigid wind that blew throughout the Class D state football quarterfinal at Beekmantown High School, Greenwich stormed past Moriah 34-6 to reach the state semifinals for the second time in four years. Senior Joe Radovich rushed for 113 yards and a touchdown and added a back-breaking pick-six early in the third quarter to power the Witches. Greenwich (10-1) advances to face Burke Catholic (9-1) on Friday, Nov. 29 in the state semifinals, set for 3 p.m. at Middletown's Faller Field. The Witches last reached the semis in 2021. Burke Catholic defeated Tuckahoe 3-0 in a snowstorm Friday night. Ryan Ingber rushed for 86 yards and a touchdown and connected with Jayden White on a 39-yard scoring pass for Greenwich, which also got a late touchdown from Will Weber. Check back later for a complete story and videos. Greenwich (10-1);12;6;8;8 — 34 Moriah (4-5);0;0;0;6 — 6 First quarter G — Ryan Ingber 20 run (run failed), 8:07 G — Jayden White 39 pass from Ingber (run failed), 3:47 Second quarter G — Joe Radovich 23 run (run failed), 1:37 Third quarter G — Radovich 48 interception return (Radovich run), 10:10 Fourth quarter M — Jayden Hughes 10 run (pass failed), 6:20 G — Will Weber 4 run (Weber run), 2:25