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ATLANTA (AP) — Even when grappling with a four-game losing streak and the uncertainty generated by quarterback Kirk Cousins’ eight interceptions and no touchdown passes in that span, there is some solace for the Atlanta Falcons. They play in the NFC South. There is more good news: The Falcons' next two opponents, the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants, are tied for the NFL's worst record at 2-11. Coach Raheem Morris says he is sticking with Cousins for next Monday night's game at Las Vegas. Sunday's 42-21 loss at Minnesota dropped Atlanta to 6-7, one game behind Tampa Bay in the NFC South. The Falcons hold the tiebreaker advantage over the Buccaneers, so if they can take advantage of their cushy closing stretch of games that also includes Washington and Carolina, they could salvage their season. “We’re right in this thing,” right guard Chris Lindstrom said Monday before acknowledging he is “obviously not happy or satisfied with where we’re at." Lindstrom said he maintains "the ultimate belief in what we’re doing and everything that we have going on and everything is still in front of us.” Cousins and the Falcons must solve their red-zone woes to maintain hopes of the team's first playoff appearance since 2017. The Falcons rank eighth in the NFL with 371 yards per game but only 19th with their average of 21.4 points thanks to their persistent problems inside the 20. Even the forgiving NFC South can't make up for the scoring problems caused by penalties, turnovers and other persistent breakdowns. “You can't live with it at all,” Morris said Monday when asked about Cousins' recent streak of interceptions. Even so, Cousins remains the starter as first-round draft pick Michael Penix Jr. awaits his opportunity. “It’s for sure Kirk is our quarterback but I have no hesitations about what our young man has been doing and how he has been preparing and the things he is ready to do,” Morris said. “So if that time ever came I would have a lot of confidence in what Mike is able to do, but Kirk is our quarterback. Kirk is the guy who is going to lead us.” With four sacks against the Vikings, the Falcons may have finally solved their longtime pass-rush woes. Atlanta had five sacks in a 17-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 1, giving the team back-to-back games with at least four sacks for the first time since 2019. Outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie had one of Sunday's sacks, giving him four for the season. With nine sacks in the last two games, the Falcons have almost doubled their NFL-low total of 10 through their first 11 games. Even as the pass rush was productive, the Falcons' defense showed a sudden inability to prevent big plays through the air. Atlanta allowed four completions of more than 40 yards as Vikings receivers Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson combined to catch five scoring passes from Sam Darnold, who did not throw an interception. Morris said the Vikings' strategy was to avoid cornerback A.J. Terrell, “making other people make plays, and we didn’t go out there and make them.” Running back Tyler Allgeier had nine carries for 63 yards and a touchdown. Even while Bijan Robinson continued to produce with 22 carries for 92 yards and a score, Allgeier re-emerged as a strong complement with his second-highest rushing total of the season. Cousins has an unhealthy ratio of 17 touchdown passes to 15 interceptions. “Kirk was the guy who led us to the 6-3 record,” Morris said. “We’ve got to find a way to get out of the funk. ... For us, it’s going to be his opportunity to go out and right the ship and he has earned it.” 142: Wide receiver Darnell Mooney set a career high with 142 yards on six catches. It was the third game this season Mooney has led the Falcons in receiving yards. Former Atlanta quarterback Desmond Ridder is expected to start for the Raiders on Monday night after Aidan O’Connell's knee injury in Sunday's 28-13 loss at Tampa Bay. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflDear Eric: My husband and I are in our 70s and retired to a new community. We are engaged in church ministries and social groups that meet for dinner periodically. I volunteer and he is an avid golfer. My problem is not being able to turn new relationships into meaningful friendships. I have met many wonderful people but have a problem getting close with anyone. Any suggestions? — Feeling Isolated Dear Isolated: I know it doesn’t feel like it, but you’re not alone. Many adults struggle to make the deep connections they want, especially later in life or in new communities. I turned to my friend and friendship expert Anna Goldfarb, author of “Modern Friendship: How to Nurture Our Most Valued Connections.” Here’s what she advises: “One of the best strategies for deepening a friendship is to provide what researchers call social identity support, which is seeing your friends for all the roles they play in their life: their race, class, gender and religion. This could look like asking to try their favorite dishes they grew up eating, including them in your cultural traditions and signaling that you’d like to be a part of theirs, too. “Another strategy is to recruit an accountability buddy. Identify a meaningful goal you both want to achieve — moving your body more, learning how to knit, watching every Matt Damon movie in chronological order — whatever floats your boat. Your friendship will deepen as you cheer on one another because you’re more invested in your successes.” Goldfarb told me, and I agree, that you’re off to a great start. So, you should congratulate yourself on making the effort and for continuing to try. It’s not always easy or as straightforward as we’d like, but you’re on the right path. Dear Eric: I enjoy your column and would like to make a comment regarding the letter from “Game Off” regarding her frustrations with her 10-year-old grandnephew who plays video games while on family vacation. I agree family time is important, and, in her own home, she should negotiate something with her niece so she can spend time with her grandnephew during visits. However, she’s completely out of touch regarding gaming. Many colleges now have competitive gaming teams supported by computing and graphic design faculty and they operate out of the athletics department just like other teams — it’s called “esports” and is becoming a big business. Her grandnephew may be headed to a successful career down the road through gaming. — Game Time Dear Game Time: You’re right, it’s all about balance. The letter writer can and should communicate her needs and wants regarding family visits. But she should also remain open to parenting choices that may not be what she would do in a similar circumstance. Additionally, while moderation is important when making decisions about gaming, you’re correct that it’s a growing and sometimes lucrative field of study and competition. The first esports college scholarship was given out in 2014 and there are currently more than 250 varsity-level esports programs across the United States and Canada, per the National Association of Collegiate Esports. Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@askingeric.com . Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Man City collapse ‘difficult to swallow’ – Pep GuardiolaNone
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OTTAWA - The union representing striking postal workers says it has received a response from Canada Post to its latest round of counter-proposals. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * OTTAWA - The union representing striking postal workers says it has received a response from Canada Post to its latest round of counter-proposals. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? OTTAWA – The union representing striking postal workers says it has received a response from Canada Post to its latest round of counter-proposals. The Crown corporation confirmed it had sent new proposals. The strike by more than 55,000 workers has gone on for over three weeks, with federal mediation paused more than a week ago as the sides were too far apart. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers said in a bulletin that it will review the latest proposals from Canada Post before responding through the special mediator, saying it’s ready to get back to negotiations. Despite calls from the business community for government intervention, Ottawa has so far said it’s staying out. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Some of the sticking points in bargaining have included wages and how to staff a proposed expansion into weekend delivery. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 6, 2024. Advertisement
Cincinnati (4-8) at Dallas (5-7) Monday, 8:15 p.m. EST, ESPN BetMGM NFL Odds: Bengals by 5 1/2. Against the spread: Bengals 6-6; Cowboys 4-8. Series record: Cowboys lead 10-4. Last meeting: Cowboys beat Bengals 20-17 on Sept. 18, 2022, in Arlington, Texas. Last week: Bengals lost to Steelers 44-38; Cowboys beat Giants 27-20. Bengals offense: overall (9), rush (27), pass (1), scoring (T5) Bengals defense: overall (27), rush (22), pass (27), scoring (31) Cowboys offense: overall (20), rush (31), pass (7), scoring (21) Cowboys defense: overall (26), rush (31), pass (13), scoring (T29) Turnover differential: Bengals minus-1; Cowboys minus-7. Joe Burrow is one of five QBs in NFL history with at least 30 touchdown passes and no more than five interceptions through 12 games. Aaron Rodgers has done it three times, with one each for Patrick Mahomes, Drew Brees and Tom Brady. The worst record among the six previous instances was 9-3, while Burrow sits at a hard-to-imagine 4-8. Two of those teams started 12-0: Green Bay with Rodgers in 2011 and Tom Brady with New England in 2007. Burrow leads the NFL in passing yards (3,337), completions (302) and touchdowns (30) entering Week 14. LB DeMarvion Overshown had a coming-out moment with his spectacular 23-yard interception return for a touchdown against the Giants. The second-year player, who missed his rookie season with a knee injury, tipped a pass from Drew Lock, ran down the deflection and scored untouched to put Dallas ahead for good. There's talk of him forming quite a tandem with two-time All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons. It's a little early for that, but the “Monday Night Football” audience will be looking for an encore. WR Ja'Marr Chase vs. the Dallas secondary. The question is whether 2021 All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs will be among the defenders battling his former Southeastern Conference rival (Chase played for LSU; Diggs for Alabama). Diggs has missed two games with groin and knee issues. There was some trash talk involved in Dallas' 20-17 win two years ago when the Bengals were defending AFC champs. Chase finished with 54 yards as Cincinnati was held to 254 yards and one touchdown. If Diggs can't go, 2023 All-Pro DaRon Bland figures to see plenty of Chase. Bland is set for his third game after missing the first 10 following surgery for a stress fracture in his foot. Chase leads the league in receiving yards (1,142) and touchdowns (13) entering Week 14. Bengals K Evan McPherson was placed on injured reserve with a groin injury. Cade York, the LSU kicker when Burrow and Chase led the Tigers to the 2019 national championship, was signed to replace McPherson. ... LB Logan Wilson missed his first game of the season last week after being listed as questionable with a knee injury. ... Cowboys RG Zack Martin has opted for ankle surgery that will end an injury-filled season for the seven-time All-Pro. Martin missed the past two games. ... It appears Dallas will have to wait at least one more week before DE DeMarcus Lawrence returns from a foot injury. His practice window hasn't opened, and he stayed in the rehab group to start the week. Lawrence hasn't played since Week 4. ... Rookie LT Tyler Guyton has been battling a shoulder injury and added an ankle sprain last week. He's likely to sit this week in favor of veteran Chuma Edoga, who made his season debut against the Giants after injuring a toe in training camp. The Cowboys have beaten the Bengals five times in a row and are 7-1 at home against them. The loss was at old Texas Stadium in 1988. The most recent victory for Cincinnati was 26-3 in 2004. The Bengals are on their second three-game losing streak of the season and still looking for their first victory over a team with a winning record. The Cowboys have won two in a row coming off a five-game losing streak and just ended a six-game skid at home. ... Seven of Cincinnati's losses have been one-score games, including the past three. ... The Bengals have the second-best touchdown rate inside the 20-yard line at 71.1%. The Cowboys have the second worst at 43.8%. ... It's the second Monday night game of the season for both teams. Cincinnati lost to Washington in Week 3. Dallas lost to Houston in Week 11. ... Burrow is one of six QBs with at least three consecutive games of 300-plus yards passing and at least three TDs. Steve Young set the record with five for San Francisco in 1998. Burrow has lost all three games on his streak, while the other five QBs were a combined 15-6 during their streaks. ... WR Tee Higgins is one of three NFL receivers with at least five touchdowns in each of the past five seasons. Mike Evans and Justin Jefferson are the others. ... LT Orlando Brown Jr. returned against Pittsburgh following the first stint of his seven-year career on the inactive list with a leg injury sustained Oct. 27. ... The Bengals benched starting LG Cordell Volson against the Steelers in favor of Cody Ford. Coach Zac Taylor said Ford played well enough to keep the starting job. ... Edge rusher Trey Hendrickson entered the week still leading the NFL with 11 1/2 sacks but has just half a sack during the current three-game losing streak that followed his career-high four sacks against Las Vegas. But Hendrickson does have 4 1/2 sacks in his past four road games and 9 1/2 in eight Monday night games. ... Cowboys QB Cooper Rush's second career start, and first as a five-game fill-in for the injured Dak Prescott in 2022, was a Dallas victory over the Bengals. Rush passed for 235 yards and a touchdown in the first of four consecutive games without an interception, all victories. Rush is 2-2 this season as the replacement for Prescott, who is out for the season following surgery on a torn hamstring. ... RB Rico Dowdle is coming off his first career 100-yard game, with 112 yards rushing and a touchdown against the Giants. ... CeeDee Lamb needs 120 yards receiving to become the first Dallas wideout to reach 1,000 yards in four of his first five seasons. ... Dallas has 16 sacks in the four games since two-time All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons returned from a high ankle sprain. The Cowboys are tied with Denver for the most sacks in that span. Parsons has 5 1/2 of them. Bengals RB Chase Brown has at least 90 scrimmage yards in the past four games, including a team-best 100 last week against the Steelers. Dallas has the second-worst run defense in the NFL. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflNASA’s Parker Solar Probe made history this week, successfully completing its closest-ever approach to the Sun. On Christmas Eve, the spacecraft came within an unprecedented 3.8 million miles of the Sun’s surface, an achievement previously believed to be impossible. After numerous days of communication silence, NASA confirmed on Thursday that the spacecraft was secure and functional after its intense flyby. Scientists anticipate the information Parker will transmit on New Year's Day, providing important perspectives on the probe's functioning and solar studies. NASA's Past Releases and Anticipated New Images Since its launch in 2018, the Parker Solar Probe has returned remarkable images. Its previous near-distance encounters withthe Sun has enabled it to take images of the Sun’s corona, offering remarkable perspectives of the star's outer atmosphere. Although the probe's main objective is to collect information regarding solar activity, it has also provided visually impressive images, uncovering fresh insights into the Sun's behavior and architecture. While the probe persists in its mission, NASA is anticipated to unveil additional images and data from Parker's closest flyby of the Sun. Parker Solar Probe’s Engineering Marvel: A Close Encounter Experts consider the Parker Solar Probe a remarkable engineering accomplishment in space exploration. Its specialized thermal shield allows the spacecraft to withstand harsh conditions, tolerating temperatures reaching 2,500°F as it approaches the Sun. This thermal shield guarantees that the scientific instruments, situated at the back of the probe, stay in a consistent, room-temperature setting. The shield's efficiency is vital in stopping the spacecraft from incinerating. In its earlier flybys, notably the one over Venus in November, the Parker Solar Probe harnessed the planet's gravitational pull to modify its path, eventually achieving its ultimate orbit around the Sun. As the probe advances on its mission, its instruments will gather important data on solar energy transfers, enhancing our knowledge of the Sun’s influence on Earth. Studies such as this are vital, given that our planet's dependence on the Sun necessitates an understanding of the dynamics within our solar system. The Parker Solar Probe’s Exploration of Venus In addition to its tasks close to the Sun, Parker’s technology also aided in the exploration of Venus. Utilizing its camera, the Parker Solar Probe's Wide-Field Imager (WISPR) obtained distinctive images of Venus while flying past. Although the dense cloud cover usually hides the planet's surface, WISPR's near-infrared features enabled it to observe the luminous surface of Venus, uncovering the planet's intense heat. Noam Izenberg, a space scientist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, emphasized the importance of these findings, describing them as a crucial advance in comprehending Venus' extreme conditions. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from World and around the world.
WASHINGTON — After several weeks working mostly behind closed doors, Vice President-elect JD Vance returned to Capitol Hill this week in a new, more visible role: Helping Donald Trump try to get his most contentious Cabinet picks to confirmation in the Senate, where Vance has served for the last two years. Vance arrived at the Capitol on Wednesday with former Rep. Matt Gaetz and spent the morning sitting in on meetings between Trump’s choice for attorney general and key Republicans, including members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The effort was for naught: Gaetz announced a day later that he was withdrawing his name amid scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations and the reality that he was unlikely to be confirmed. Thursday morning Vance was back, this time accompanying Pete Hegseth, the “Fox & Friends Weekend” host whom Trump has tapped to be the next secretary of defense. Hegseth also has faced allegations of sexual assault that he denies. Vance is expected to accompany other nominees for meetings in coming weeks as he tries to leverage the two years he has spent in the Senate to help push through Trump’s picks. The role of introducing nominees around Capitol Hill is an unusual one for a vice president-elect. Usually the job goes to a former senator who has close relationships on the Hill, or a more junior aide. But this time the role fits Vance, said Marc Short, who served as Trump’s first director of legislative affairs as well as chief of staff to Trump’s first vice president, Mike Pence, who spent more than a decade in Congress and led the former president’s transition ahead of his first term. ”JD probably has a lot of current allies in the Senate and so it makes sense to have him utilized in that capacity,” Short said. Unlike the first Trump transition, which played out before cameras at Trump Tower in New York and at the president-elect’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, this one has largely happened behind closed doors in Palm Beach, Florida. There, a small group of officials and aides meet daily at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort to run through possible contenders and interview job candidates. The group includes Elon Musk, the billionaire who has spent so much time at the club that Trump has joked he can’t get rid of him. Vance has been a constant presence, even as he’s kept a lower profile. The Ohio senator has spent much of the last two weeks in Palm Beach, according to people familiar with his plans, playing an active role in the transition, on which he serves as honorary chair. Vance has been staying at a cottage on the property of the gilded club, where rooms are adorned with cherubs, oriental rugs and intricate golden inlays. It’s a world away from the famously hardscrabble upbringing that Vance documented in the memoir that made him famous, “Hillbilly Elegy.” His young children have also joined him at Mar-a-Lago, at times. Vance was photographed in shorts and a polo shirt playing with his kids on the seawall of the property with a large palm frond, a U.S. Secret Service robotic security dog in the distance. On the rare days when he is not in Palm Beach, Vance has been joining the sessions remotely via Zoom. Though he has taken a break from TV interviews after months of constant appearances, Vance has been active in the meetings, which began immediately after the election and include interviews and as well as presentations on candidates’ pluses and minuses. Among those interviewed: Contenders to replace FBI Director Christopher Wray, as Vance wrote in a since-deleted social media post. Defending himself from criticism that he’d missed a Senate vote in which one of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees was confirmed, Vance wrote that he was meeting at the time “with President Trump to interview multiple positions for our government, including for FBI Director.” “I tend to think it’s more important to get an FBI director who will dismantle the deep state than it is for Republicans to lose a vote 49-46 rather than 49-45,” Vance added on X. “But that’s just me.” While Vance did not come in to the transition with a list of people he wanted to see in specific roles, he and his friend, Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who is also a member of the transition team, were eager to see former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. find roles in the administration. Trump ended up selecting Gabbard as the next director of national intelligence, a powerful position that sits atop the nation’s spy agencies and acts as the president’s top intelligence adviser. And he chose Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, a massive agency that oversees everything from drug and food safety to Medicare and Medicaid. Vance was also a big booster of Tom Homan, the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who will serve as Trump’s “border czar.” In another sign of Vance’s influence, James Braid, a top aide to the senator, is expected to serve as Trump’s legislative affairs director. Allies say it’s too early to discuss what portfolio Vance might take on in the White House. While he gravitates to issues like trade, immigration and tech policy, Vance sees his role as doing whatever Trump needs. Vance was spotted days after the election giving his son’s Boy Scout troop a tour of the Capitol and was there the day of leadership elections. He returned in earnest this week, first with Gaetz — arguably Trump’s most divisive pick — and then Hegseth, who has was been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2017, according to an investigative report made public this week. Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and denied any wrongdoing. Vance hosted Hegseth in his Senate office as GOP senators, including those who sit on the Senate Armed Services Committee, filtered in to meet with the nominee for defense secretary. While a president’s nominees usually visit individual senators’ offices, meeting them on their own turf, the freshman senator — who is accompanied everywhere by a large Secret Service detail that makes moving around more unwieldy — instead brought Gaetz to a room in the Capitol on Wednesday and Hegseth to his office on Thursday. Senators came to them. Vance made it to votes Wednesday and Thursday, but missed others on Thursday afternoon. Vance is expected to continue to leverage his relationships in the Senate after Trump takes office. But many Republicans there have longer relationships with Trump himself. Sen. Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican, said that Trump was often the first person to call him back when he was trying to reach high-level White House officials during Trump’s first term. “He has the most active Rolodex of just about anybody I’ve ever known,” Cramer said, adding that Vance would make a good addition. “They’ll divide names up by who has the most persuasion here,” Cramer said, but added, “Whoever his liaison is will not work as hard at it as he will.” Cramer was complimentary of the Ohio senator, saying he was “pleasant” and ” interesting” to be around. ′′He doesn’t have the long relationships,” he said. “But we all like people that have done what we’ve done. I mean, that’s sort of a natural kinship, just probably not as personally tied.” Under the Constitution, Vance will also have a role presiding over the Senate and breaking tie votes. But he’s not likely to be needed for that as often as was Kamala Harris, who broke a record number of ties for Democrats as vice president, since Republicans will have a bigger cushion in the chamber next year. Colvin reported from New York. Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
Best THCA Vapes: Experience Pure Vapor with Lasting EffectsThe agriculture visa for Pacific Island nationals has been a dismal failure from the beginning, resulting in exploitation bordering on slavery and even fatalities, writes Dr Abul Rizvi . THE SITUATION of the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility ( P.A.L.M. ) visa goes from bad to worse, with government ministers continuing to deny the problems of employer exploitation, an extraordinary death/injury rate and huge numbers of P.A.L.M. workers running away from their sponsoring employers to apply for asylum. When Australia embarked on its first low-skill agriculture visa over a decade ago, I could not believe we were going to copy what every other nation with such a visa had experienced. Somehow, we were going to be so much cleverer with such a visa than every other nation where such visas have been a disaster. It was either pure arrogance or naivety — I am not sure which. Then in 2020-21, the Nationals’ David Littleproud announced broadening this Pacific Island visa to a demand-driven agriculture visa for ASEAN nations that he said would be up and running by Christmas 2021. The National Farmers’ Federation , which had been lobbying for such a visa for decades, was ecstatic. It would at last get the easily exploitable farmer labourers it always wanted. System fails to protect migrants — asylum applications soar Is the ongoing rise in asylum applications from Pacific Island nations a case of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade shifting risks and costs to other agencies? At that time, I wrote that going down that path would forever change the character of Australia for the worse. I wrote about the range of risks associated with such visas. Not surprisingly, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade ( DFAT ) dragged its feet in establishing agreements for this visa. Even DFAT could see the disaster such a visa would be (and it's usually DFAT that is the last to understand such risks). The new Labor Government abolished Littleproud’s agriculture visa (apart from allowing 1,000 agriculture visa workers from Vietnam due to an existing MOU). Australia had dodged a bullet. But it continued with a low-skill agriculture visa for Pacific Island nationals, presumably for regional security reasons. That has had appalling consequences. Exploitation Extreme exploitation of poor people with few English skills and little agency to demand better treatment from farmers was inevitable. A Senate Committee in early 2022 heard from Pacific Island workers that they were “being treated like slaves” . One Pacific Island worker said he was made to sign contracts in English – despite not understanding the language – and was not provided with an interpreter to understand the terms. He would end up earning $300 as his net pay after working 73 hours in one week. Another worker told the Committee that he ‘picked strawberries for 73 hours another week — and he earned only $100’ . Another worker said: “The way we are made to work through the heat of the sun or rain, without rest, we feel like we are being treated like slaves.” DFAT insists these are isolated incidents but has provided little evidence to back up this claim. A problem is the reportedly exorbitant deductions that are often made to pay for things like transport and accommodation. Visa system still leaving migrants jobless and homeless With record-sized growth in temporary entrants straining rental and job markets, Home Affairs must do more to help struggling migrants secure skilled jobs and permanent residency. Coalition Senator Matt Canavan criticised his own Government for operating a system that amounted to indentured labour. The Labor Government made changes to address some of the concerns. However, as recently as late 2024, AAP reports the scheme as a ‘breeding ground for slavery’ . It says: ‘Workers, who can't leave their employer without approval from the Employment Department, are sometimes left with as little as $100 to $200 a week due to bosses being allowed to take deductions from their wages.’ Between 2019 and 2024, the Fair Work Ombudsman conducted 228 investigations covering 1,937 Pacific Island workers recovering $760,000. But in all likelihood, this is the tip of the iceberg. The Immigration Advice and Rights Centre says ‘employers regularly threatened workers with deportation and some in Bundaberg didn't have basic living standards, which resulted in rough sleeping and needing to go to soup kitchens to eat. Most who left the scheme in NSW's Riverina region did so because of exploitation’ . The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, Tomoya Obokata , found in November 2024 that the P.A.L.M. Scheme is a ‘a breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery’ . East Timor President José Ramos-Horta criticised the scheme during a national address in Australia, alleging people were forced to pay $700 a week to live in a dormitory for eight people with bunk beds. Visa lottery: Solution in search of a problem A new lottery-style system for issuing permanent residency visas is a poorly-planned idea that will create its own share of problems. Death and injury rate As with similar schemes in Europe and North America, the P.A.L.M. Scheme has been plagued by an extraordinary death and injury rate. The Australia Institute has found more than 230 Pacific Island workers were seriously injured and 45 died in Australia between 2020 and 2023. That is in a visa with only around 30,000 people. A death/injury rate such as that for nationals from a rich Working Holiday Maker nation would result in outrage. According to data from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations ( DEWR ), as of June 30 2023, P.A.L.M. visa holder deaths more than quadrupled from 2021-2022 to 2022-23, with seven deaths and 29 deaths recorded respectively. While the increase would partly be related to the increased size of the Scheme, and the Government notes not all the deaths and injuries were workplace-related, the death and injury rate remains shocking. Albeit politically motivated, we held a Royal Commission when four Australians died as a result of the Government’s Pink Batts Scheme . A Queensland-based labour-hire company alone has had nine fatalities and 109 serious injuries during its participation in the scheme. This company has 15% of the P.A.L.M. workforce. Pacific Island Nationals seeking asylum The inevitable consequence of such appalling mistreatment is that P.A.L.M. workers are running away from their employers and applying for asylum in significant numbers. At the primary level, it is not unusual for Pacific Island nationals to comprise over 20% of every month’s asylum applications. In many months, more asylum claims are lodged by Pacific Island nationals than those from major visitor/student source nations such as China and India. These asylum claims are now increasingly making their way to the Administrative Review Tribunal ( A.R.T. ) (see Chart 1). (Data source: A.R.T. ) Due to the size of the A.R.T.’s asylum backlog, it can take many years for an asylum appeal to be considered. In that time, the asylum seeker must find another job to survive. As most Pacific Island asylum claims are eventually refused (well over 90% refusal rate), these people will eventually become undocumented migrants with no work rights and no access to any form of government support. Both major political parties continue to pay lip service to these issues. That may continue until a demagogue such as Donald Trump is elected to power in Australia to deal with this in the most harsh and inhumane way possible. Australia does not want to go there. We can deal with this in a sane and sensible manner if there is political determination to do so. Unfortunately, the politicisation of immigration policy makes that just about impossible. Dr Abul Rizvi is an Independent Australia columnist and a former Deputy Secretary of the Department of Immigration. You can follow Abul on Twitter @ RizviAbul . This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Australia License Support independent journalism Subscribe to IA. POLITICS NEW AUSTRALIANS HUMAN RIGHTS ECONOMICS PALM SCHEME Pacific Australia Labour Mobility visa David Littleproud agriculture visa Auspol National Farmers Federation DFAT deaths exploitation Share Article
Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah agree to a ceasefire after nearly 14 months of fightingBy HALELUYA HADERO, Associated Press President-elect Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on Friday to pause the potential TikTok ban from going into effect until his administration can pursue a “political resolution” to the issue. The request came as TikTok and the Biden administration filed opposing briefs to the court, in which the company argued the court should strike down a law that could ban the platform by Jan. 19 while the government emphasized its position that the statute is needed to eliminate a national security risk. “President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute. Instead, he respectfully requests that the Court consider staying the Act’s deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case,” said Trump’s amicus brief, which supported neither party in the case. The filings come ahead of oral arguments scheduled for Jan. 10 on whether the law, which requires TikTok to divest from its China-based parent company or face a ban, unlawfully restricts speech in violation of the First Amendment. Earlier this month, a panel of three federal judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit unanimously upheld the statute , leading TikTok to appeal the case to the Supreme Court. The brief from Trump said he opposes banning TikTok at this junction and “seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office.”
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West Yellowstone police did not release new information as of 3 p.m., Friday regarding the recent death of one of their officers. However, officials did post information online offering help on getting through the grieving process. “The family of Officer Ashlee Stoneburner has requested that in lieu of flowers donations be made to bluehelp.org , an organization dedicated to supporting law enforcement officers and their families who are affected by trauma and loss,” the department stated on Facebook. West Yellowstone Police Officer Ashlee Stoneburner “Your generosity can help honor Officer Stoneburner’s legacy and provide vital support to those who serve and protect our community,” the Thursday posting states. Also, on Thursday, West Yellowstone police reminded the public about the 988 suicide and crisis hotline. “It's important to know that there is someone to listen and support in your grief,” officials said. “You are not alone, and reaching out for help is a sign of strength,” the posting states. “Let's spread the word and make sure that everyone knows about this important resource. Take care of yourselves and each other.” The West Yellowstone Police Department announced Stoneburner’s death on Wednesday, adding that an investigation is underway. Circumstances surrounding her death are being investigated by the Madison County Sheriff's Office/Coroner's Office, officials said. Officials said updates will be posted on the West Yellowstone Police Department’s official social media. The department is staffed by 13 people, including a police chief and five officers, with one being a school resource officer, the department's webpage states. The department has seven 911 telecommunicators, one serving as the 911 center manager. If you or someone you know are in a mental health crisis, the Montana Crisis Lifeline is free and staffed 24 hours by trained crisis responders who answer every call and text message. Dial 988. Online: https://dphhs.mt.gov/suicideprevention/988 Assistant editor Phil Drake can be reached at 406-231-9021. Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Assistant Editor {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Republican gubernatorial nominee Mark Robinson vowed on Thursday to remain in the race despite a CNN report that he posted strongly worded racial and sexual comments on an online message board, saying he won’t be forced out by “salacious tabloid lies.” Robinson, the sitting lieutenant governor who decisively won his GOP gubernatorial primary in March, has been trailing in several recent polls to Democratic nominee Josh Stein, the current attorney general. “We are staying in this race. We are in it to win it,” Robinson said in a video posted Thursday on the social media platform X. “And we know that with your help, we will.” Robinson referenced in the video a story that he said CNN was running, but he didn't give details. “Let me reassure you the things that you will see in that story — those are not the words of Mark Robinson," he said. "You know my words. You know my character.” The CNN report describes a series of racial and sexual comments Robinson posted on the message board of a pornography website more than a decade ago. CNN reported that Robinson, who would be North Carolina’s first Black governor, attacked civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. in searing terms and once referred to himself as a “black NAZI.” CNN also reported that Robinson wrote of being aroused by a memory of “peeping” women in gym showers when he was 14 along with an appreciation of transgender pornography. Robinson at one point referred to himself as a “perv,” according to CNN. The Associated Press has not independently confirmed that Robinson wrote and posted the messages. CNN said it matched details of the account on the pornographic website forum to other online accounts held by Robinson by comparing usernames, a known email address and his full name. CNN reported that details discussed by the account holder matched Robinson’s age, length of marriage and other biographical information. It also compared figures of speech that were used in his public Facebook profile and that appeared in discussions by the account on the pornographic website. Media outlets already have reported about a 2021 speech by Robinson in a church in which he used the word “filth” when discussing gay and transgender people. Robinson has a history of inflammatory comments that Stein has said made him too extreme to lead North Carolina. They already have contributed to the prospect that campaign struggles for Robinson would hurt former President Donald Trump to win the battleground state’s 16 electoral votes, and potential other GOP downballot candidates. Recent polls of North Carolina voters show Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris locked in a close race. The same polls show Stein with a roughly 10-point lead over Robinson. Stein and his allies have repeatedly cited a Facebook post from 2019 in which Robinson said abortion in America was about “killing the child because you weren’t responsible enough to keep your skirt down.” The Stein campaign said in a statement after the report that “North Carolinians already know Mark Robinson is completely unfit to be Governor.” State law says a gubernatorial nominee could withdraw as a candidate no later than the day before the first absentee ballots requested by military and overseas voters are distributed. That begins Friday, so the withdrawal deadline would be late Thursday. State Republican leaders could then pick a replacement. Trump has frequently voiced his support for Robinson, who has been considered a rising star in his party, well-known for his fiery speeches and evocative rhetoric. Ahead of the March primary, Trump at a rally in Greensboro called Robinson “Martin Luther King on steroids” for his speaking ability. Trump’s campaign appears to be distancing itself from Robinson in the wake of the report. In a statement to the AP, Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said the GOP nominee’s campaign “is focused on winning the White House and saving this country,” calling North Carolina “a vital part of that plan.” Leavitt went on to contrast Trump’s economic record with that of Harris, not mentioning Robinson by name or answering questions as to whether he would appear with Trump at a Saturday campaign rally in Wilmington, or had been invited to do so. A spokesperson for Harris’ campaign, Ammar Moussa, said on X that “Donald Trump has a Mark Robinson problem” and reposted a photo of the two together. The North Carolina Republican Party defended Robinson in a statement on X, saying that despite his denial of CNN's report, it wouldn't “stop the Left from trying to demonize him via personal attacks.” The party referred to economic and immigration policies as the predominant election issues North Carolinians will care more about instead. “The Left needs this election to be a personality contest, not a policy contest because if voters focused on policy, Republicans win on Election Day," the party said. Scott Lassiter, a Republican state Senate candidate in a Raleigh-area swing district, did call on Robinson to “suspend his campaign to allow a quality candidate to finish this race.” Ed Broyhill, a North Carolina member of the Republican National Committee, said he spoke to Robinson Thursday afternoon and still supports him as the nominee. In an interview, Broyhill suggested the online details may have been fabricated. “It seems like a dirty trick to me,” Broyhill said. On Capitol Hill, U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, chair of the House GOP’s campaign committee, told reporters the report’s findings were “concerning.” Robinson, he said, has some reassuring to do in the state. Robinson, 56, was elected lieutenant governor in his first bid for public office in 2020. He tells a life story of childhood poverty, jobs that he blames the North American Free Trade Agreement for ending, and personal bankruptcy. His four-minute speech to the Greensboro City Council defending gun rights and lamenting the “demonizing” of police officers went viral — and led him to a National Rifle Association board position and popularity among conservative voters. This story was first published on Sep. 19, 2024. It was updated on Nov. 22, 2024 to correct which of Robinson’s social media accounts CNN cited in a comparison to language in messages from a pornographic website message board. CNN cited his public Facebook account, not his Twitter account. Associated Press writer Meg Kinnard in Chapin, South Carolina, and Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report.
Cincinnati (4-8) at Dallas (5-7) Monday, 8:15 p.m. EST, ESPN Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Foreign bride price: A Papua New Guinea guide to ‘marrying’ multiple partnersLEDOR Metoilli is a TikToker who has built a huge following through his car reviews. The social media star reviews cars that you would expect to see everyday as well as the most elite cars in the industry. Getting his start His first full review was posted on TikTok in January 2022 and covered his new CLK 320. In the video, he revealed that he loved its headlight washers, as well as its frame-less and pillar-less windows. The video went viral and he has since opened up about how the overwhelming positive response encouraged him to go further. He said it "gave me the courage to say 'okay let me post some more'". Read More on influencers His friends gave him the final push to go further with the channel. As of November 2024, Ledor has 149,000 followers on TikTok. He has also launched a successful Instagram account which has over 30,000 followers. Life of luxury Ledor regularly reviews high-end vehicles on his social media accounts. Most read in Motors In one video, he drives an Alpina B12 5.7 Switchtronic which he jokingly refers to as the "ultimate mafia car". In another TikTok, he races around in the suave Mercedes-AMG GT R Roadster. Ledor loves a bargain Ledor doesn't just drive luxury cars though. Fans love him because he still reviews more affordable cars . In one video, he explains the differences between buying a cheaper van compared to a more premium one. Ultimately, he concludes that Vauxhall Mavonos and Renault Masters are the best vehicles to buy, if you are on the lookout for a van. His humour remains unchanged too. In one hilarious TikTok, Ledor reviews a Little Tike car where he complains about its 200ml of boot space and lack of leg room. In the caption, he jokes that it is "the worst car in the world".