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ATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” the center simply said in posting about Carter's death on the social media platform X. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors . He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners . He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. His mother, Lillian , would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year he married Rosalynn Smith, another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. His decision angered Rosalynn, even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox — and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. And in 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided, as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were no more talented than he was. In 1974, he ran Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy for 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. Walter “Fritz” Mondale as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and nonwhite people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015 . “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” Former Associated Press journalist Alex Sanz contributed to this report.B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG acquired a new position in Devon Energy Co. ( NYSE:DVN – Free Report ) in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 20,614 shares of the energy company’s stock, valued at approximately $806,000. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Triad Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Devon Energy in the second quarter worth $27,000. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Devon Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at about $34,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Devon Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at about $35,000. PSI Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Devon Energy by 66.7% in the second quarter. PSI Advisors LLC now owns 750 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares during the period. Finally, LRI Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Devon Energy during the first quarter valued at approximately $39,000. 69.72% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth DVN has been the topic of several research reports. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Devon Energy from $50.00 to $49.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 7th. TD Cowen cut their price objective on Devon Energy from $54.00 to $46.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Raymond James lowered their target price on Devon Energy from $58.00 to $51.00 in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on Devon Energy from $56.00 to $57.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, November 18th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Devon Energy from $64.00 to $51.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Devon Energy presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $51.85. Devon Energy Trading Up 1.9 % Shares of DVN opened at $39.45 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $25.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 2.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 1.01. Devon Energy Co. has a 1 year low of $37.76 and a 1 year high of $55.09. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $39.94 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $43.95. Devon Energy ( NYSE:DVN – Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, November 5th. The energy company reported $1.10 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.09 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $4.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.72 billion. Devon Energy had a net margin of 21.71% and a return on equity of 24.73%. Devon Energy’s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.65 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that Devon Energy Co. will post 4.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Devon Energy Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 30th. Investors of record on Friday, December 13th will be given a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 13th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.23%. Devon Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 16.33%. Devon Energy Profile ( Free Report ) Devon Energy Corporation, an independent energy company, engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the United States. It operates in Delaware, Eagle Ford, Anadarko, Williston, and Powder River Basins. The company was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DVN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Devon Energy Co. ( NYSE:DVN – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Devon Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Devon Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Tudor and Cashel Township held a Lunch and Learn at their community centre on Nov. 26, where the township’s Historical Society presented to attendees on how Tudor and Cashel came to be through time. Made possible by the Ontario Seniors Accessibility Grant, there was also a hot lunch of soup, sandwiches and dessert provided by Wattle and Daub Café. Councillor Elain Holloway comments on this look back into Tudor and Cashel’s past to Bancroft This Week. The Lunch and Learn on Nov. 26 was facilitated by the Tudor and Cashel Historical Society’s Bob Clarke, Marie Whittaker and Gina Sikama, although Sikama was unable to attend due to another commitment, but sent her regards. Holloway told the crowd that they were an amateur historical society and what they know and what they found out they collected themselves through research and conversations through their lives here over the decades. “Their hope is to encourage you to become more involved, if not with the township’s history but with that of your own families. There’s a history that goes away if you don’t have that history and hang on to it,” she says. Clarke said that there was so much history and so much had changed over the past 175 years and that as they go through it, hopefully they’ll answer some of the attendees’ questions. “We’re just going to skim the surface today. If there’s an interest in another one of these presentations that deals with logging or mining, we’ll certainly give it an effort to do that,” he says. Clarke told Bancroft This Week back in 2020 in the Bancroft This Week article “Tudor and Cashel’s history illuminates residents’ souls,” that they’d gotten the idea to pursue the historical society from the history section on the township’s website in 2017, as resident Joan Donaldson had preserved quite a bit of the area’s history. “The history of the area here is quite a story, going back to the 1850s. A lot of the older folks are passing and their stories are going to be lost and have been lost. But there’s a lot of their siblings and relatives in the area so that that history can still be preserved. So basically, we live here on the Heritage Trail and the old hotel which used to be called Rickett’s Hotel and the railroad went right by and the station was out front of the place. Well, the history kind of grows on you and I started collecting a bit of information on the railroad and then it kind of snowballed,” he said at the time. On Nov. 26, Holloway presented what Sikama would have said that day, based on some notes provided, called “where it began to now,” going from Upper Canada to the establishment of Canada in 1867, and from the initial farming that didn’t pan out too well, to mining and logging that sustained Tudor and Cashel over the years. “Today, people travel to Bancroft to Belleville to Trenton and points in between to make a living. They could work closer to home but they don’t and this is their home. It’s where they want to live, hunt and fish. The lumber industry will continue, mine exploration, and maybe someday land will be cleared and farmed again using new machinery and technology. Whatever the occupation, families live in Tudor and Cashel because their roots are here and because the rocks, trees, wetlands and lakes draw their heart strings,” she says. Whittaker went next, giving the crowd a taste of what it was like toward the end of the farming era (1850 to 1950) and what family life was like, based upon her own personal experiences. She said life was never dull and there was always something to do. She recalled many memories of life on the Ridge at her family’s farms. “I have vague memories of using coal oil lamps in my Uncle George’s house. I’m not sure when the hydro came to the Ridge, but it was quite an event when the telephones came in. Each house got their own ring and very little privacy,” she says. Clarke finished off the presentation by looking at the early settlers to Tudor and Cashel and the reasons why they came and persevered in the area, like free 50 to 100 acre lots, hope for a better life, and the logging and mining industries. He then looked at the histories of Tudor Township, established in 1865 and Cashel Township, established in 1869 before they amalgamated in 1897 and the history of Tudor and Cashel since then. For instance, Clarke talked about the history of the Central Ontario Railroad and the effect it had on Tudor and Cashel, initially transporting iron ore and later logs through the area, and the effect that the building of Hwy 62 had on the railroad traffic over time, until the last train came through in 1975 and the tracks were removed in 1980. Clarke concluded by says that there’s just so many stories they could spend days telling folks what they’ve been able to pull together from various sources over the years. “We’re going to try to come up with some way to preserve this for the next generation. Most people really aren’t that interested in it until later in life when they think ‘oh, wonder what that was all about?’” he says. Clarke told Bancroft This Week that he hoped the presentation answered a few questions for people in attendance and that it was just interesting. “What we’re trying to do is get an interest in this just so that this stuff preserves. We’re even doing a book that’s in the editing stages but it just skims off the top of what we could put in it and if there’s interest we could do more. It’s to get the next generation thinking ‘okay, we’ll carry on with this,’” he says. Holloway told Bancroft This Week that the Historical Society Lunch and Learn was the best attended, drawing residents including those from neighbouring townships. “The presentation was excellent, very informative giving a glimpse at how Tudor and Cashel came to be. I believe the participants were equally captivated, evident with their interaction and comments, leaving wanting to learn even more. There is so much more yet to share and Bob Clarke, Marie Whittaker and Gina Sikama are eager to come again. The Ontario Seniors Accessibility Grant has provided excellent opportunities for our residents, reducing isolation and encouraging ongoing participation,” she says. “It was an excellent presentation.”phlboss online casino 。

Volunteer Janet Lee (right) has planned a Christmas party for palliative care patients at Kang Le Day Hospice. SINGAPORE – It is that time of the year again, when most people gather their nearest and dearest and sit down for a meal in familiar company. But for every flat filled with laughter, there may be another shrouded in silence. Separated from their loved ones by death, disputes or distance, many are marking the close of another year – alone. Loneliness can feel especially acute when everyone else seems to be having the best holiday ever. According to a 2023 American Psychological Association poll, the stress levels of 41 per cent of adults increase during the holiday season. Such festive social and emotional isolation afflicts many in Singapore too, which is why some residents are trying to stem the tide, one party at a time. This year-end, The Straits Times speaks to the people who are choosing to celebrate not with friends and family, but with those who have no one else. Lonely Christmas no more Married couple David and Esther Loh are hosting a party for strangers who need company this Christmas. PHOTO: COURTESY OF DAVID LOH When 29-year-old David Loh sits down for dinner on Dec 24, he might not recognise anyone at the table, apart from his wife. The gallery manager and his wife, Mrs Esther Loh – a 28-year-old creative strategist at a social media agency – are throwing a party for people who might feel lonely around this time of year. It will be the second such gathering they have hosted, following a similarly-themed get-together in 2022 that went viral on TikTok. That video, viewed more than 100,000 times since, attracted close to 300 responses from people eager to attend. To minimise disappointment, they capped party sizes at 15 people and organised three gatherings over the Christmas weekend and Chinese New Year, over and above the sole session they had planned. For 2024, the couple have a new venue – a friend’s event space and pottery studio in Chinatown that can accommodate 30, twice as many attendees as two years ago. They still hope to keep things small and intimate, with numbers capped at 30 a gathering. Mr Loh says: “It would be a tragedy if a 200- or 300-strong crowd shows up, and lonely people leave feeling the same way. We want to create a place where we can be more intentional with hosting, where people can talk to one another and be heard.” For Mrs Loh, it is important that everyone feels seen and heard. “When people think of Christmas, they think of celebrating with friends and family. They might not think about those on the outskirts who don’t have that. It’s a period when the lonely get lonelier,” she says. Her husband knows that feeling all too well. The social work graduate used to spend Christmas on his own, tending a gallery in Millenia Walk over the holidays, with no celebrations to look forward to. He says: “I’m a pretty positive, mentally healthy individual, and still I felt the weight and loneliness of being alone. I’d take the bus home and feel sad that I had nothing on that night. So, I wanted to make space for people like myself.” The couple, who are Christian, will sponsor pizza and side dishes – halal, to cater to as many guests as possible – as well as gifts for the Dec 24 party. They have set aside a $1,000 budget for this. The Lohs organised a similar party for strangers in 2022, which received nearly 300 responses. PHOTO: COURTESY OF DAVID LOH In 2022, 45 people of all ages and religions turned up across their three parties. There was an empty nester in her 50s, whose sons had moved overseas to study; a woman in her 30s spending her first Christmas without her late husband; and a man who had been on the brink of suicide. Despite their differences, these strangers were able to open up to one another and conversations ran raw. To the Lohs’ surprise, some attendees kept in touch after that night. “Everyone there sort of knew the other attendees were also lonely, so there was a sense of empathy and solidarity,” recalls Mrs Loh. The couple hope to inject more joy and excitement into their 2024 programme with activities like pottery painting. “We’re not trying to change someone’s life. We just want to change someone’s night. If deep friendships happen, that’s great. But we don’t have lofty ideas. We just want to make them feel like they had a good Christmas.” YOU’RE INVITED!!!! Drop us a DM to rsvp so we can plan for the food 😛🍕🍕 When: 24 Dec 22, Sat Time: 730pm-OTOT Where: City Hall (DM for more info) #christmas2022 #fypsg #youareinvited More information will be released on the couple’s TikTok account ( @davidandesther ) in December. I’ll (not) Be Home for Christmas Coliwoo senior operations manager Javier Lim is hosting a party for residents who are spending the festive period away from home in December. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM This will be Mr Javier Lim’s 15th Christmas away from home, so the 38-year-old Malaysian senior operations manager at co-living operator Coliwoo knows how his clients must feel. A bittersweet melancholy settles over Coliwoo’s apartments at this time of year. Most of its residents are expatriates, international students or digital nomads, whose families are thousands of kilometres away. “It’s sad seeing people in their rooms during the festive period. They’re lonely, they miss home. Sometimes, they’ll come to the management office just to have someone to chat with,” says Mr Lim. To lift their spirits, he started throwing Christmas parties for residents two years ago. The 2024 bash will be held at Coliwoo’s Orchard residence, and he is expecting 50 to 60 guests. Sponsored by Coliwoo, a buffet of Western dishes – such as prawns with garlic aioli and sauteed garden vegetables – will be catered, and prizes will be up for grabs. As part of Mr Lim’s eco-conscious aims, game booths will be built out of recycled materials such as cardboard, egg trays and plastic bottles. In addition to organising the party on Dec 20, Mr Lim is working the holiday shift on Christmas Day. He will be stationed at the company’s Boon Lay property, where he will oversee operations and manage requests from residents. “I find the festive shift very rewarding,” he says, adding that because he is so familiar with the staff and some of the residents, it feels almost like he is with friends. Staff also share drinks and desserts with residents in the lounge on days when they work late. “Here, you get a lot of these value-added activities that help build a strong community spirit, so people feel at home. We don’t just provide them with a roof over their heads.” The bachelor, whose two sisters also live overseas, sees his parents in Kelantan only after the festive season. But texts, video calls and knowing that they are just a four-hour flight away in Kelantan away help temper his homesickness. Last Christmas Volunteer Janet Lee will dress up as Santa Claus to spread festive cheer at Kang Le Day Hospice. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY The elderly patients of a palliative care centre look on in amusement as Ms Janet Lee struggles with her Santa Claus costume. “I must be the skinniest Santa Claus ever,” she quips with a wry smile, strapping a beard across the lower half of her face. “Maybe I should stuff a pillow under the top.” The 59-year-old volunteer is testing out the costumes she plans to don on Dec 9, when Kang Le Day Hospice celebrates a cross-cultural Christmas with an Asian buffet and Western carols. She expects around 30 attendees. It was the housewife’s idea, and one of the many contributions she has made since she started volunteering with HCA Hospice, which runs the centre in Marsiling, in June 2023. Moved by the care and compassion its team showed to her late mother in her final days some four years ago, Ms Lee decided to reciprocate by helping out. The memories she has made have stuck with her. In particular, her friendship with her very first patient – an elderly man she refers to as Mr N – continues to shape the work she does. Mr N suffered from dementia and anxiety, which made it difficult to interact with him at first. But Ms Lee eventually won over the former postman with her rendition of the Carpenters’ Please Mr Postman. He shared his life story with her, while she entertained him with games and activities, keeping him company until his death in August 2023. “I was very sad upon hearing the news, but I was also thankful for the opportunity to have created some happy moments while he was around,” she says. Thus was born her idea of organising parties to spread that joy to more patients, most of whom have only six months to a year left to live, and are likely celebrating their last Christmas. Ms Lee preparing a bunny costume ahead of the Christmas party at Kang Le Day Hospice. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY Though to many of these seniors, Christmas is not as culturally significant as Chinese New Year or Hari Raya, Ms Lee – who usually does not celebrate Yuletide herself – believes in seizing any opportunity to get everyone together. “I enjoy doing the work. I’m happy to see them relax and have fun. If not, usually they just sit here and say, ‘All I do here is eat and wait for time to pass.’ It’s quite negative,” she says. To inject some energy into the room, Ms Lee, who describes herself as “quite a serious person”, busts out her goofy side. She will lead a singalong in her Santa Claus outfit, while her 35-year-old anaesthesiologist daughter, who is helping her, will tower over the party in a 2m-tall bunny suit. The festivities cannot stretch beyond two hours as the patients tire quickly, but she says it is heartening to see their energy return, even momentarily. Mr Lee Fatt Ping (left) leading seniors St Luke’s ElderCare Serangoon Centre in an arts and crafts activity. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY At St Luke’s ElderCare Serangoon Centre, 71-year-old retiree Lee Fatt Ping is also keenly aware of the needs of his fellow merry-makers. Though the seniors here are not terminally ill, many have conditions that might hamper their ability to participate. The volunteer, who visits the centre on Tuesday mornings, has prepared a simple arts and crafts activity to spread cheer this festive season. It comprises four strips of coloured paper that can be folded to form a heart, representing peace, love and joy – sentiments the Christian associates with Christmas. “It’s a way for them to come together and stamp their identity on this place. It gives them a sense of ownership,” he says, explaining that the completed paper hearts can then be hung up as decorations. However, he also has to take into consideration those with weaker psychomotor skills and poor eyesight. In such cases, Mr Lee will encourage one of their friends to help them, or get them involved through simple questions such as “What colour is this?” and “Is this pretty?”, to which they can respond with a thumbs up or down. “We have to adjust to their capabilities and make sure they feel included. The important thing is not to discredit them but encourage them to try again, if they want to.” When it comes to the more reserved seniors who do not want to participate, he will approach them as a supplicant, asking for assistance or help – a move that is guaranteed to flatter. “They’ll say, ‘You don’t know how to do meh?’, but it gets them involved.” Mr Lee Fatt Ping (second from right) will be one of the few volunteers on duty during the year-end festive period. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY The former civil servant-turned nursing home executive, who completed a master’s degree in ageing at The University of Melbourne in his late 60s, will be one of the few volunteers on duty at a time when most are away on holiday. He says: “If I can be around, I’m happy. This is a very meaningful time for me. I want to spread my blessings during this time when we’re reflecting on the year, and being grateful for all the good and bad, the highs and lows.” Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads. Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards Spin the wheel now

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New Delhi: The BJP 's performance in the Uttar Pradesh assembly bypolls shows that the party succeeded in bringing back the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Scheduled Caste (SC) voters into its fold, say analysts. While the BJP bagged six seats out of the nine for which bypolls were held in UP, its ally Rashtriya Lok Dal won one seat. These seats, in different parts of the state, required different political strategies owing to varied caste combinations. So, it was a tough task for the BJP to work out a separate strategy for each assembly seat. Chief minister Yogi Adiyanath, who spearheaded the BJP's election management, chose to field party candidates from Katehari and Majhawan seats, which had gone to the ally Nishad Party as part of the seat-sharing in 2022 assembly polls. The BJP won both seats, bagging Katehari after three decades. Besides, it retained Phulpur after a close contest. BJP also increased its vote share in Samajwadi Party 's pocket borough of Karahal-vacated by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav after he won the Lok Sabha election from Kannauj-where it polled 89,597 votes. Following the bypolls, the NDA has four more MLAs from the OBC category. BJP's success in snatching Katehari seat from the SP would not have been possible without the support of OBC and SC voters. The party fielded Dharamraj Nishad, a former BSP leader who is a popular face among the local SC voters. He was elected to the state assembly thrice in the past. Apart from the SC voters, this constituency has a considerable presence of Brahmin voters also. The SP had fielded Shobhawati Verma, who is wife of Ambedkar Nagar MP Lalji Verma. This seat was vacated by Lalji Verma after his victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from Ambedkar Nagar. Verma was elected to the state assembly from Katehari in 2017 and 2022 assembly polls. The Katehari seat offered fresh challenges for the BJP in view of Verma's political grip over this seat. 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The party selected a local Yadav face Anujesh Yadav to improve its performance. But BJP gave a tough fight to the SP here and reduced the margin of SP's victory compared to the 2022 polls. SP candidate Tej Pratap Yadav won this seat by a margin of only 14, 725 votes. Following the debacle that the BJP faced in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the course correction to restore the required balance between the party organisation and the government also enabled the BJP to corner its main political opponent, the SP, in the assembly bypolls, said analysts. Apart from deploying his ministers across the nine assembly seats, Adityanath interacted with the party cadres at the ground level. Riding on his slogan 'Katoge to Batoge', perceived as a call to Hindus to stay united, he continued to attack the SP in his own way, turning the bypolls into a direct contest between him and the SP chief. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )

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Kulgam/ Baramulla, Dec 7: Jammu and Kashmir launched a 100-day drive to end tuberculosis (TB) with Minister for Health and Medical Education, Social Welfare and Education, Sakeena Masood (Itoo) launching the campaign across J&K on Saturday. Virtually launching the 100-day campaign under the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) across J&K at Kashmir Skill and Simulation Centre, RIHFW Dhobiwan, Tangmarg in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, the health minister said, “TB continues to be a major public health challenge in the country, but with determination, innovation, and a collective effort, we can overcome it.” She said that this campaign represents an unwavering commitment to achieving the vision of TB-free J&K. The minister underlined that over the next 100 days, the department would aim to accelerate TB detection, ensure timely treatment and promote awareness about preventive measures. She said that this was not just a government initiative but a people’s movement that calls for active participation from every corner of society. The health minister said that the present government was focused on reaching the unreached, establishing advanced healthcare facilities, strengthening diagnostics, enhancing community engagement and ensuring no one was left behind in the fight against TB. “With the support of healthcare workers, local stakeholders, and the people, the Health Department will achieve significant milestones during this campaign,” she said. MLA Beerwah Muhammad Shafi, MLA Gulmarg Farooq Ahmad Shah, and MLA Uri Sajjad Shafi commended the efforts of the health staff for their contributions and achievements. They reiterated their full support for the campaign, highlighting that the objective of this 100-day campaign was to accelerate efforts in eliminating TB, reaching every corner of the community, spreading awareness about the disease, and ensuring access to free and high-quality TB care. Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, Meera Srivastava urged healthcare providers, industry leaders, corporate organisations, counsellors, media professionals, and citizens to collaborate in this effort. She emphasised the importance of ensuring that no one was left behind in the fight against TB, striving for a TB-free community where no child loses a parent, no student misses school, and no worker loses their livelihood due to TB. Srivastava reinforced that this 100-day campaign was not merely a health initiative but a commitment to building healthier and stronger communities. Director of Health Services, Kashmir, Dr Jehangir Bakshi along with all other participants took the TB Pledge, demonstrating a strong commitment to the elimination of tuberculosis in the Kashmir division. He said that the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) in Kashmir had made remarkable progress. State Tuberculosis Officer, Kashmir, Dr Adhfar Yasien delivered the opening remarks on the 100-day intensified campaign for TB Elimination (Ni-kshay Shivir). She emphasised the significant importance of this campaign, noting that TB was not only a health issue but also a major social and economic burden, particularly affecting the most vulnerable segments of society. Dr Adhfar also highlighted that India accounts for approximately 27 percent of the world’s TB cases, emphasising the urgency of this ongoing fight. “TB continues to claim lives, disrupt families, and reduce the productivity of entire communities,” she said. Divisional Nodal Officer, National Health Mission (NHM), Dr Mushtaq Ahmad thanked all the visiting dignitaries and participants present in the occasion, who have dedicated themselves to this cause. He called on all to unite and ensure the success of this 100-day campaign, marking a major step toward a TB-free India and TB-Free Kashmir. Additional Deputy Commissioner, Baramulla and health functionaries from various districts of the Kashmir division were also present at the campaign launch. Three districts in Kashmir – Budgam, Anantnag, and Pulwama – have been declared TB-free. Additionally, two districts, Srinagar and Kupwara, have received gold certification under the Sub-National Certification and J&K has received a bronze medal in the same category. Over 15 million TB cases have been successfully treated since the start of the programme and significant improvements in detection and recovery rates have been achieved due to better diagnostic and treatment tools. Despite these advancements, challenges like stigma, late diagnosis, and treatment dropouts remain, and the 100-day campaign aims to directly address these issues through the involvement of all stakeholders. During this 100-day intensified campaign, health teams would focus on conducting active case findings by visiting high-risk and vulnerable populations, including malnourished individuals, diabetics, smokers, cancer patients, tribal communities, and other at-risk groups. The goal is to detect TB cases early, raise awareness about TB symptoms, prevention, and treatment, and provide continuous medical and psychological support to ensure successful recovery. Additionally, community leaders, NGOs, corporate organisations, counsellors, and health workers will be engaged to serve as ambassadors for change. After the event, two TB eradication vans were flagged off, one for district Srinagar, which was flagged off by the Director of Health Services, Kashmir, Dr Jahingir Bakshi, Chief Medical Officer, Srinagar, Dr Tahir Sajad, and District Tuberculosis Officer, Srinagar, Dr Abdul Roof, and the other for the district Baramulla was flagged off by Additional District Development Commissioner, Baramulla, Syed Qamar Sajad, Chief Medical Officer, Baramulla, Dr Mastoora Akhter, and District Tuberculosis Officer, Baramulla, Dr Hafizulla.

Jimmy Carter, the United States’ longest-lived president, was never afraid of speaking his mind. Forthright and fearless, the Nobel Prize winner took pot-shots at former prime minister Tony Blair and ex-US president George W Bush among others. His death came after repeated bouts of illness in which images of the increasingly frail former president failed to erase memories of his fierce spirit. Democrat James Earl “Jimmy” Carter Jr swept to power in 1977 with his Trust Me campaign helping to beat Republican president Gerald Ford. Serving as 39th US president from 1977 to 1981, he sought to make government “competent and compassionate” but was ousted by the unstoppable Hollywood appeal of a certain Ronald Reagan. A skilled sportsman, Mr Carter left his home of Plains, Georgia, to join the US Navy, returning later to run his family’s peanut business. A stint in the Georgia senate lit the touchpaper on his political career and he rose to the top of the Democratic movement. But he will also be remembered for a bizarre encounter with a deeply disgruntled opponent. The president was enjoying a relaxing fishing trip near his home town in 1979 when his craft was attacked by a furious swamp rabbit which reportedly swam up to the boat hissing wildly. The press had a field day, with one paper bearing the headline President Attacked By Rabbit. Away from encounters with belligerent bunnies, Mr Carter’s willingness to address politically uncomfortable topics did not diminish with age. He recently said that he would be willing to travel to North Korea for peace talks on behalf of US President Donald Trump. He also famously mounted a ferocious and personal attack on Tony Blair over the Iraq war, weeks before the prime minister left office in June 2007. Mr Carter, who had already denounced George W Bush’s presidency as “the worst in history”, used an interview on BBC radio to condemn Mr Blair for his tight relations with Mr Bush, particularly concerning the Iraq War. Asked how he would characterise Mr Blair’s relationship with Mr Bush, Mr Carter replied: “Abominable. Loyal, blind, apparently subservient. “I think that the almost undeviating support by Great Britain for the ill-advised policies of President Bush in Iraq have been a major tragedy for the world.” Mr Carter was also voluble over the Rhodesia crisis, which was about to end during his presidency. His support for Robert Mugabe at the time generated widespread criticism. He was said to have ignored the warnings of many prominent Zimbabweans, black and white, about what sort of leader Mugabe would be. This was seen by Mr Carter’s critics as “deserving a prominent place among the outrages of the Carter years”. Mr Carter has since said he and his administration had spent more effort and worry on Rhodesia than on the Middle East. He admitted he had supported two revolutionaries in Mugabe and Joshua Nkomo, and with hindsight said later that Mugabe had been “a good leader gone bad”, having at first been “a very enlightened president”. One US commentator wrote: “History will not look kindly on those in the West who insisted on bringing the avowed Marxist Mugabe into the government. “In particular, the Jimmy Carter foreign policy... bears some responsibility for the fate of a small African country with scant connection to American national interests.” In recent years Mr Carter developed a reputation as an international peace negotiator. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his commitment to finding peaceful solutions to international conflicts, his work with human rights and democracy initiatives, and his promotion of economic and social programmes. Mr Carter was dispatched to North Korea in August 2008 to secure the release of US citizen Aijalon Mahli Gomes, who had been sentenced to eight years of hard labour after being found guilty of illegally entering North Korea. He successfully secured the release of Mr Gomes. In 2010 he returned to the White House to greet President Barack Obama and discuss international affairs amid rising tensions on the Korean peninsula. Proving politics runs in the family, in 2013 his grandson Jason, a state senator, announced his bid to become governor in Georgia, where his famous grandfather governed before becoming president. He eventually lost to incumbent Republican Nathan Deal. Fears that Mr Carter’s health was deteriorating were sparked in 2015 when he cut short an election observation visit in Guyana because he was “not feeling well”. It would have been Mr Carter’s 39th trip to personally observe an international election. Three months later, on August 12, he revealed he had cancer which had been diagnosed after he underwent surgery to remove a small mass in his liver. Mr Obama was among the well-wishers hoping for Mr Carter’s full recovery after it was confirmed the cancer had spread widely. Melanoma had been found in his brain and liver, and Mr Carter underwent immunotherapy and radiation therapy, before announcing in March the following year that he no longer needed any treatment. In 2017, Mr Carter was taken to hospital as a precaution, after he became dehydrated at a home-building project in Canada. He was admitted to hospital on multiple occasions in 2019 having had a series of falls, suffering a brain bleed and a broken pelvis, as well as a stint to be treated for a urinary tract infection. Mr Carter spent much of the coronavirus pandemic largely at his home in Georgia, and did not attend Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration in 2021, but extended his “best wishes”. Former first lady Rosalynn Carter, the closest adviser to Mr Carter during his term as US president, died in November 2023. She had been living with dementia and suffering many months of declining health. “Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished,” Mr Carter said in a statement following her death. “She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.”ATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care, at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023, spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A president from Plains A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. And then, the world Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors. He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” ‘An epic American life’ Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners. He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. A small-town start James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. His mother, Lillian, would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year he married Rosalynn Smith, another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. His decision angered Rosalynn, even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox — and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. And in 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. ‘Jimmy Who?’ His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided, as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were no more talented than he was. In 1974, he ran Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy for 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. Walter “Fritz” Mondale as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. Accomplishments, and ‘malaise’ Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and nonwhite people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. ‘A wonderful life’ At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015. “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” ___ Former Associated Press journalist Alex Sanz contributed to this report.

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AMES, Iowa (AP) — Audi Crooks scored the winning shot as time expired and a season-high 33 points as No. 8 Iowa State survived with an 80-78 win over Drake on Sunday afternoon. Addy Brown added 13 points and eight rebounds, Emily Ryan scored 11 points with 12 assists and Kenzie Hare had 10 points as the Cyclones (5-1) avoided a second consecutive loss. The Bulldogs (2-3) were led by guard Katie Dinnebier, who scored 39 points on 13-of-16 shooting and went 8 of 10 from 3-point range. Dinnebier went 5 of 6 from the charity stripe. Anna Miller added 18 points in Drake's attempt to dethrone Iowa State, and Abbie Aalsma scored 11 off the bench. Drake: The Bulldogs, who were picked to finish first in the Missouri Valley Conference in the preseason, tied a season high with 19 turnovers. Iowa State scored 24 points from those turnovers. Iowa State: The Cyclones found a way to bounce back after losing to Northern Iowa on Wednesday night. A 10-0 run in the first quarter was the difference in a close Cyclone win. The Cyclones were outrebounded 42-31 by the Bulldogs, marking the first time Iowa State was outrebounded this season. Iowa State heads to Florida to play No. 1 South Carolina on Thursday in the Women's Fort Myers Tip-Off, the same day Drake plays Wyoming in the San Juan Shootout in Puerto Rico. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

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