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How Jimmy Carter’s Presidential Election Victory Helped ‘Heal Ancient Wounds’ of RacismJimmy Carter’s ascent to the White House was something few people could have predicted when he was governor of the US state of Georgia. It was no different for Jimmy Carter in the early 1970s. It took meeting several presidential candidates and then encouragement from an esteemed elder statesman before the young governor, who had never met a president himself, saw himself as something bigger. He announced his White House bid on December 12 1974, amid fallout from the Vietnam War and the resignation of Richard Nixon. Then he leveraged his unknown, and politically untainted, status to become the 39th president. That whirlwind path has been a model, explicit and otherwise, for would-be contenders ever since. “Jimmy Carter’s example absolutely created a 50-year window of people saying, ‘Why not me?’” said Steve Schale, who worked on President Barack Obama’s campaigns and is a long-time supporter of President Joe Biden. Mr Carter’s journey to high office began in Plains, Georgia where he received end-of-life care decades after serving as president. David Axelrod, who helped to engineer Mr Obama’s four-year ascent from state senator to the Oval Office, said Mr Carter’s model is about more than how his grassroots strategy turned the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary into his springboard. “There was a moral stain on the country, and this was a guy of deep faith,” Mr Axelrod said. “He seemed like a fresh start, and I think he understood that he could offer something different that might be able to meet the moment.” Donna Brazile, who managed Democrat Al Gore’s 2000 presidential campaign, got her start on Mr Carter’s two national campaigns. “In 1976, it was just Jimmy Carter’s time,” she said. Of course, the seeds of his presidential run sprouted even before Mr Nixon won a second term and certainly before his resignation in August 1974. In Mr Carter’s telling, he did not run for governor in 1966, he lost, or in 1970 thinking about Washington. Even when he announced his presidential bid, neither he nor those closest to him were completely confident. “President of what?” his mother, Lillian, replied when he told her his plans. But soon after he became governor in 1971, Mr Carter’s team envisioned him as a national player. They were encouraged in part by the May 31 Time magazine cover depicting Mr Carter alongside the headline “Dixie Whistles a Different Tune”. Inside, a flattering profile framed Mr Carter as a model “New South” governor. In October 1971, Carter ally Dr Peter Bourne, an Atlanta physician who would become US drug tsar, sent his politician friend an unsolicited memo outlining how he could be elected president. On October 17, a wider circle of advisers sat with Mr Carter at the Governor’s Mansion to discuss it. Mr Carter, then 47, wore blue jeans and a T-shirt, according to biographer Jonathan Alter. The team, including Mr Carter’s wife Rosalynn, who died aged 96 in November 2023, began considering the idea seriously. “We never used the word ‘president’,” Mr Carter recalled upon his 90th birthday, “but just referred to national office”. Mr Carter invited high-profile Democrats and Washington players who were running or considering running in 1972, to one-on-one meetings at the mansion. He jumped at the chance to lead the Democratic National Committee’s national campaign that year. The position allowed him to travel the country helping candidates up and down the ballot. Along the way, he was among the Southern governors who angled to be George McGovern’s running mate. Mr Alter said Mr Carter was never seriously considered. Still, Mr Carter got to know, among others, former vice president Hubert Humphrey and senators Henry Jackson of Washington, Eugene McCarthy of Maine and Mr McGovern of South Dakota, the eventual nominee who lost a landslide to Mr Nixon. Mr Carter later explained he had previously defined the nation’s highest office by its occupants immortalised by monuments. “For the first time,” Mr Carter told The New York Times, “I started comparing my own experiences and knowledge of government with the candidates, not against ‘the presidency’ and not against Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. It made it a whole lot easier”. Adviser Hamilton Jordan crafted a detailed campaign plan calling for matching Mr Carter’s outsider, good-government credentials to voters’ general disillusionment, even before Watergate. But the team still spoke and wrote in code, as if the “higher office” were not obvious. It was reported during his campaign that Mr Carter told family members around Christmas 1972 that he would run in 1976. Mr Carter later wrote in a memoir that a visit from former secretary of state Dean Rusk in early 1973 affirmed his leanings. During another private confab in Atlanta, Mr Rusk told Mr Carter plainly: “Governor, I think you should run for president in 1976.” That, Mr Carter wrote, “removed our remaining doubts.” Mr Schale said the process is not always so involved. “These are intensely competitive people already,” he said of governors, senators and others in high office. “If you’re wired in that capacity, it’s hard to step away from it.” “Jimmy Carter showed us that you can go from a no-name to president in the span of 18 or 24 months,” said Jared Leopold, a top aide in Washington governor Jay Inslee’s unsuccessful bid for Democrats’ 2020 nomination. “For people deciding whether to get in, it’s a real inspiration,” Mr Leopold continued, “and that’s a real success of American democracy”.BRS accuses Revanth’s ‘aide’ of vandalising Allu Arjun’s residenceVictims and Families React as Biden Spares the Lives of 37 Federal Death Row Inmates
Former prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh passed away at 92. He took his last breath at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. The Congress veteran was being treated for age-related medical conditions. He had a "sudden loss of consciousness at home" and could not be revived when rushed to hospital. Dr. Singh was declared dead at 9.51 pm on December 26. He would be best remembered as the person who transformed India's economy in 1991. Remembering his life as a gentleman, finance super mind and minister whose political tenure went on big screens with 2019-released film 'The Accidental Prime Minister' and stirred controversy. Obituary-Brock Purdy participated in the start of Thursday's practice with the 49ers but the San Francisco starting quarterback was not on the field for the majority of the workout, casting doubt over his availability to play Sunday at Green Bay. Purdy is dealing with a right shoulder injury and the 49ers are also potentially without left tackle Trent Williams and Nick Bosa due to injuries. Bosa was listed as out of Thursday's practice with an oblique injury. Williams also didn't suit up Thursday. He played through an ankle injury last week after being listed as questionable. Purdy's typical Thursday post-practice media session was scrapped until Friday as the 49ers did not make any quarterback available. Kyle Allen would step in for Purdy as the starter if he can't play against the Packers. Run game coordinator Chris Foerster said the 49ers aren't where they want to be at 5-5 because they haven't won close games, not because of injuries. "Seven games left is like an eternity," Foerster said. "So much can happen. Do the math. What was our record last year? It was 12-5. I was on a 13-win team that was nowhere near as good as the team last year." With or without Purdy, Foerster said the challenge for the 49ers is not to give up the ball to a defense that has 19 takeaways. The 49ers have 13 giveaways this season. --Field Level Media
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Cyber Husky Expands With New Office Space In CharlestonSix talented STEM students from the British School Manila have competed in the F1 in Schools Global STEM Challenge, which took place from Nov. 21 to 28 in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. This milestone marks the first time a Filipino team, AGILAS, has participated in the prestigious global competition. The AGILAS team is composed of senior students Neo Gatlabayan, Gian Andre Benjamin Gaisano Anggala, Lau Li Khai (Marcus), and Sofia Margaret Gorospe, alongside junior Aaron Gabriel Chua and sophomore Tara Bahukhandi. The team is guided by their adviser, Jenna Storey, as they prepare to showcase Filipino innovation on the international stage. “This is our first time competing, and we didn’t know what to expect, but everything is coming together,” shared Mr. Gatlabayan, the team’s managing director and chief engineer. “We’re about to register our cars, and we’re good to go. It feels incredible to be the first Filipino team here.” Ms. Bahukhandi, marketing and promotions lead, expressed pride in representing the Philippines. “It’s inspiring to see competitors from all over the world. Being on an international stage makes me incredibly proud to represent the Philippines in STEM,” she said. Mr. Lau, chief finance officer and director of research & design, shared his excitement about meeting teams from around the world. “We saw a few teams at the airport, and it’s thrilling to know we’ll be competing alongside so many talented individuals,” he said. F1 in Schools is a global, not-for-profit competition that encourages students to develop and showcase their STEM skills by designing, building, and racing miniature Formula 1 cars. Teams are evaluated in areas such as car speed, engineering quality, branding, marketing, project management, and verbal presentation skills, making it a comprehensive platform for young innovators. The AGILAS team’s participation not only highlights the growing importance of STEM education in the Philippines but also paves the way for more Filipino students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.Matt Gaetz's Wife Stood by Him Throughout Ethics Committee Probe
Australia has one of the highest skin cancer rates globally, with nearly 19,000 Australians diagnosed with invasive melanoma – the most lethal type of skin cancer – each year. While advanced melanoma can be fatal, it is highly treatable when detected early. But Australian clinical practice guidelines and health authorities do not recommend screening for melanoma in the general population. Given our reputation as the skin cancer capital of the world, why isn’t there a national screening program? Australia currently screens for breast, cervical and bowel cancer and will begin lung cancer screening in 2025. It turns out the question of whether to screen everyone for melanoma and other skin cancers is complex. Here’s why. The current approach On top of the 19,000 invasive melanoma diagnoses each year, around 28,000 people are diagnosed with in-situ melanoma. In-situ melanoma refers to a very early stage melanoma where the cancerous cells are confined to the outer layer of the skin (the epidermis). Instead of a blanket screening program, Australia promotes skin protection, skin awareness and regular skin checks (at least annually) for those at high risk . About one in three Australian adults have had a clinical skin check within the past year. Why not just do skin checks for everyone? The goal of screening is to find disease early, before symptoms appear, which helps save lives and reduce morbidity. But there are a couple of reasons a national screening program is not yet in place. We need to ask: 1. Does it save lives? Many researchers would argue this is the goal of universal screening. But while universal skin cancer screening would likely lead to more melanoma diagnoses , this might not necessarily save lives. It could result in indolent (slow-growing) cancers being diagnosed that might have never caused harm. This is known as “ overdiagnosis ”. Screening will pick up some cancers people could have safely lived with, if they didn’t know about them. The difficulty is in recognising which cancers are slow-growing and can be safely left alone. Receiving a diagnosis causes stress and is more likely to lead to additional medical procedures (such as surgeries), which carry their own risks. 2. Is it value for money? Implementing a nationwide screening program involves significant investment and resources. Its value to the health system would need to be calculated, to ensure this is the best use of resources. Read more: Yes, you still need to use sunscreen, despite what you’ve heard on TikTok Narrower targets for better results Instead of screening everyone, targeting high-risk groups has shown better results . This focuses efforts where they’re needed most. Risk factors for skin cancer include fair skin, red hair, a history of sunburns, many moles and/or a family history. Research has shown the public would be mostly accepting of a risk-tailored approach to screening for melanoma. There are moves underway to establish a national targeted skin cancer screening program in Australia, with the government recently pledging $10.3 million to help tackle “the most common cancer in our sunburnt country, skin cancer” by focusing on those at greater risk. Currently, Australian clinical practice guidelines recommend doctors properly evaluate all patients for their future risk of melanoma. Looking with new technological eyes Technological advances are improving the accuracy of skin cancer diagnosis and risk assessment. For example, researchers are investigating 3D total body skin imaging to monitor changes to spots and moles over time. Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms can analyse images of skin lesions, and support doctors’ decision making. Genetic testing can now identify risk markers for more personalised screening. And telehealth has made remote consultations possible, increasing access to specialists, particularly in rural areas. Check yourself – 4 things to look for Skin cancer can affect all skin types, so it’s a good idea to become familiar with your own skin. The Skin Cancer College Australasia has introduced a guide called SCAN your skin , which tells people to look for skin spots or areas that are: 1. sore (scaly, itchy, bleeding, tender) and don’t heal within six weeks 2. changing in size, shape, colour or texture 3. abnormal for you and look different or feel different, or stand out when compared to your other spots and moles 4. new and have appeared on your skin recently. Any new moles or spots should be checked, especially if you are over 40. If something seems different, make an appointment with your doctor. You can self-assess your melanoma risk online via the Melanoma Institute Australia or QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute .The cellular telephone or rather its modern incarnation – the smartphone – has become almost an extension of our body. It is 24/7 with us, giving us updates about our near and dear and also about the wider world. It enables us to do a thousand and one things in addition to the basic function of telephony. Even that has become so advanced that we can talk to another person on the other side of the world face to face free (save for the data charges). Smartphones enable us to go to any corner of the World Wide Web with a single touch. But for most people, this means easy access to social media or new media including Facebook, X, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, Reddit, Telegram and BlueSky. In fact, this is how most people get their “news fix” in the morning – not the traditional newspaper, TV or radio. Just half an hour after waking up, they know what their friends and relatives are up to and also what world leaders are up to. Double-edged sword But like most things in life, the smartphone is like a double-edged sword. It is not only a treasure trove of information, but also a minefield of misinformation. For example, reliable sites on the Internet will give you the correct facts on vaccines and vaccination, but Facebook et al is full of misinformation on the same subject. Millions of people were misled by such false posts and did not take the Covid-19 vaccine and some of them did not survive the pandemic. What is even more worrying is the proliferation of smartphones among children, including even those still in the kindergarten. The Internet and the deep labyrinth known as the “dark web” is a dangerous place for children to be. Children can also access content that is unsuitable for them. Many children have been lured online by sexual predators. Many others are bullied online, a process termed cyber bullying. Unable to bear these taunts, some children, even in Sri Lanka, have taken the extreme step of taking their own lives. Educators also complain that smartphones are a major source of distraction, negatively impacting students’ ability to concentrate on lessons. Incoming notifications, or even the mere proximity of a mobile device, can be a distraction resulting in students losing their attention from the task at hand. Leaving all that aside, looking at a screen virtually all day long can harm the developing eyes of children and also inhibit their physical activities. The GEM Report’s gender edition highlighted how social media can negatively affect mental health while reinforcing harmful gender norms. It found that girls are twice as likely as boys to suffer from eating disorders exacerbated by social media use. Facebook’s own research revealed that 32 percent of teenage girls felt worse about their bodies after using Instagram. The report further noted alarming trends related to TikTok’s algorithm, which targets teenagers with body image content every 39 seconds and promotes content related to eating disorders every eight minutes. For the past several years, educationists around the world have been alarmed by these developments to the point where they began to call for a ban on mobiles for schoolchildren during school hours. Their call was based on everyday observations as well as scientific research. At home, of course, it is up to the parents or guardians to restrict smartphone usage or give the children free rein. In response, several countries have taken steps to ban phones in the classrooms, at least for children aged less than 16. Parents have also universally applauded the move while even the children have somewhat grudgingly warmed up to the idea. Overall, a new analysis from the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report team found that more than 60 countries now ban smartphones in classrooms by law or policy. Algeria, Cambodia, Chile, Egypt, Finland, Hungary, Kazakhstan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Niue and the Russian Federation are some of the countries that have introduced bans. Getting rid of smartphones from schools in Belgium, Spain and the United Kingdom was found to improve learning outcomes, according to a study cited in the report, especially for students that were not performing as well as their peers. Sweden has implemented a ban on cell phones for students in Grades 1-9 during school hours, including breaks. In France, cell phones are completely banned in schools due to their potential to distract students, with exceptions made for people with disabilities. Bangladesh teachers and students have been banned from bringing mobile phones in classrooms, while Uzbekistan mandates that students turn off their devices before lessons commence and are only allowed to use their phones to communicate with parents or legal guardians in cases of justified and urgent need. In Scotland (United Kingdom) and the Netherlands, cell phone use is restricted to educational purposes only. In November 2023, the Dutch Government unveiled plans to extend the ban on mobile phones in classrooms to include primary and special schools, with exceptions being made for medical needs or educational purposes. Partial or total restrictions on cell phone use can also be found in Bulgaria, Greece, Latvia, Portugal, Switzerland, and Türkiye. These regulations are often accompanied by guidelines on screen time and policies aimed at limiting social media use within educational settings. In the morning before class starts, one by one, the students at the Würenloser Gesamtschule near Zürich in Switzerland turn off their smartphones and drop them into a simple wooden box at the front of their classroom. The devices will remain there until the gong rings at the end of their school day. “I don’t even take it to school anymore,” one 12th-Grader said. “It only distracts me.” His peers agree. “We talk more with each other instead of everybody staring at their screens,” his friend said. “Major problem” According to a recent Pew research, 70 percent of high school teachers believe phone distraction is a “major problem,” and a third of the students said they are distracted by digital devices during lessons. On average, US teenagers spend nearly five hours a day on social media, according to a recent Gallup survey. The social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, who wrote the bestseller The Anxious Generation, has expressed concern about the “rewiring” of an entire generation and noticed clear links between rising phone addiction and declining mental health. But educationists say that the solution is not as simple as banning all digital devices. The problem is not the use of these devices per se, but excessive use and the kind of content that students access. Students who spend one to five hours per day on digital devices including tablets and laptops for learning at school and home score significantly higher in their mathematics lessons than those who spend no time on such devices, according to a recent OECD report: Studies have also shown that simply taking digital devices away is not an entirely successful strategy. Children need alternatives that can prove more enriching than digital and social media temptations. These can be group activities, sports, quiz programs, music and dance, school clubs, broadcasting and debating societies and foreign language classes. Some countries have gone even further, suggesting total social media bans for schoolchildren under 16, at school and home. Australia is the first country to take this extreme step, with its Parliament approving the measure last week. Under this proposal, Australia has passed a law to prevent children under 16 from creating (and accessing) accounts on social media platforms. This has attracted both plaudits (from parents and educationists) and criticism (from social media companies, human rights advocates and even social media experts). “This is about protecting young people — not punishing or isolating them,” said Australia’s Communications Minister Michelle Rowland. She cited exposure to content about drug abuse, eating disorders and violence as some of the harms children can encounter online. However, it is not exactly clear how the law could be implemented as it is difficult for the State to “police” online accounts. It has also raised privacy concerns. The law requires social media platforms to take “reasonable steps” to verify the age of users and prohibit those under 16 from opening accounts. However, it is rather easy to give false dates of birth and other information online, as the social media companies do not have tools to verify them. There is also a debate on which platforms could be subjected to the ban. The Australian Government has named TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) as sites it is likely to include. Three broad categories of platforms will be exempt: messaging apps (like WhatsApp and Facebook’s Messenger Kids); gaming platforms; and services that provide educational content, including YouTube, Vimeo and Khan Academy. Access platforms Those 15 and under will also still be able to access platforms that let users see some content without registering for an account, such as TikTok, Facebook and Reddit. However, some experts have suggested that the social media companies should devote more resources to content moderation and removal of harmful content, an argument that has its merits. Other countries are looking at the Aussie experiment before taking similar steps. This brings us to the question whether Sri Lanka should follow these examples. There have been several reports of children here causing self-harm to themselves over social media posts and comments. There is no doubt that parents should exercise some control over their children’s online habits. Many devices have parental control settings, but it is even better not to provide young children with digital devices of their own. If the parents give their devices to children, it is better to set a time limit. Quite apart from social media, some mobile games can be extremely violent and could have a corrosive influence on young minds. As we said earlier, it is a minefield out there on the Internet and parents and teachers have to guide young ones with care.Wall Street slips to a rare back-to-back loss
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Haiti’s health minister has been removed from his post, government officials told The Associated Press on Thursday, following a deadly gang attack on the largest public hospital in the capital, Port-au-Prince . The two government officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the issue, said Health Minister Duckenson Lorthe will be replaced by Justice Minister Patrick Pelissier until a new health minister is found. Two journalists and a police officer were killed Tuesday as gang members burst into the General Hospital and fired indiscriminately at reporters who were there to cover the facility's reopening. It was one of the worst attacks on Haitian media in recent memory. Seven other journalists were injured. Jean Frans Regala, a photographer who survived, said journalists had been invited to the hospital by the health ministry but there was little security at the site. “The fact that the minister of health invited us, you feel that preparations have been made already,” Regala told the AP . “When we made contact with a police unit, the police told us they were not aware of the event." The health minister did not show up at the event, for reasons that have not been explained. On Tuesday, Johnson “Izo” André, considered Haiti’s most powerful gang leader and part of the Viv Ansanm group of gangs that has taken control of much of Port-au-Prince, posted a video on social media claiming responsibility for the attack. The video said the gang coalition had not authorized the hospital’s reopening. Gang violence has worsened in Haiti since the nation’s president was killed in a 2021 coup attempt. Gangs are believed to control 85% of the capital and earlier this year staged attacks on the main airport and the country's two largest prisons. The Caribbean country has struggled to organize an election that will restore democratic rule, and is currently governed by a transitional council made up of representatives of political parties, business groups and civil society organizations.