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It may be the smallest official royal palace in the UK but Kew Palace, nestling in the middle of London’s stunning botanical gardens, packs a mighty punch as the real-life stage for Regency romance, madness and Bridgerton betrayal. Kew Palace in the famed botanical Gardens. A place where things go bump in the night. Credit: Getty Images With a history as triumphant and tragic as that of any monarchy worldwide, it’s a building soaked in memories of past lives, which sometimes still leak out from the fabric. “We sometimes hear children running in the corridors even though there’s no-one else here,” says Emma Dearing, the operations manager at Kew Palace. “At other times, there’s the odd smell of tobacco or of a sweet sherberty lemon, possibly from the perfumes the women used to wear. “And I was here in 2022 when the Queen passed away. All the music had been turned off for the mourning period but when we came to check one morning, we could hear music... but the player wasn’t plugged in.” Historic Royal Palaces conservators arrange artefacts and furniture in the Queen’s Boudoir. Credit: Getty Images Kew Palace started out in 1631 as a City of London merchant’s handsome Palladian-style home until it was developed into a royal palace in the 18th Century. Four storeys high, with its exterior painted in a red ochre colour wash, it was used by successive generations of rulers and their families as a weekend country retreat. King George III was no different, taking it as a refuge for himself and his young bride, Queen Charlotte, and, as the years passed, their 15 children. Visits to the palace have surged since Netflix drama Bridgerton became a massive hit around the world. It tells the story of life in that era and how, as George’s demons spiralled him into despair, Charlotte set the social standards and the feckless Prince Regent became ever more powerful. With the show’s fourth season now in production, it seems everyone has been captivated by the story of the royals in one of the most turbulent times in history, and Kew Palace has been the staunch witness to it all. A dust cover is removed from a piano in the Queen’s Drawing Room. Credit: Getty Images If only the walls could talk. But this palace has so much atmosphere, and so many personal objects on display, it’s not too difficult to imagine life as it was in the day. The king’s flute is in the first room. He was a man with a tremendous appetite for all the finer things in life – books, music and art. Charlotte’s harpsichord is also there. The two often played together, while a visiting Mozart famously duetted with her. A 1761 portrait of George’s young bride glows on one wall. It was painted before she arrived from Germany as a 17-year-old, considered young, innocent and unworldly enough to make a suitable match. George’s former tutor and close advisor Lord Bute was charged with finding a perfect match. “She had to be not too clever, not too beautiful, not too political and not too outspoken,” says Dearing. “Several young women missed out for saying or doing the wrong thing. “But Charlotte knew to be careful in front of Lord Bute... and she waited until after the marriage to show her true colours.” She certainly turned out to be wise, with their marriage lasting 57 years until her death. A painting in the Queen’s Bedroom. Credit: Getty Images In another room, there are life-size models of the couple with all of their children – one pregnancy a year still failed to dim Charlotte’s light – while the dining table is laid for dinner that you can imagine being served any moment. Upstairs, the queen’s boudoir is a sumptuous room, with an elaborate plaster ceiling with figures representing each of the five senses. It’s been decorated according to the snatches of the original furnishings that survived, so now has a lively teal wallpaper, gold and black curtains and thick carpets. It’s here that Charlotte and her maids would spend their time sewing and gossiping. There are also the rooms for all the children, with the girls’ rooms the most fascinating. As females, they were allowed to do little, beyond reading, sewing, walking and playing cards. But there’s also an astonishing large dolls’ house on display, with each of the rooms decorated as they are in the real palace with miniature versions of all the furniture. It’s painstaking work, but it makes you appreciate that, in the absence of little else, this is what the life of a female royal would be. There are plenty of memories of even darker days, too, when George first faltered with a mystery illness in 1788. He took sanctuary in Kew Palace at that time, where he was treated with a mix of leeches, cold baths, laxatives and threats, often being contained in a straitjacket and allowed to do nothing for himself. He recovered a year later, but then descended into what was popularly called “madness” again in 1810. Today, it’s thought it could have been the illness porphyria, a metabolic disorder, or he could have been bipolar. It was then that his son, George IV, took power. The palace was then used by the royals as an elaborate weekender in the midst of the fabulous Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, which was set on the path to becoming one of the world’s foremost gardens by Sir Joseph Banks, who bankrolled Captain Cook’s expedition to Australia and then masterminded transportation to the colony. If walls could talk... The King’s Dining Room. Credit: Historic Royal Palaces But the royal home fell out of favour with George IV, back into prominence with William IV, and then, finally, into disuse before Queen Victoria, George III’s granddaughter, opened it to the public. Loading She would have known that Kew Palace’s incredible history, and its amazing location – quite apart from the advent of TV streaming – would continue to attract visitors, as a true jewel of London, forever more. FIVE OTHER ROYAL PALACES OPEN FOR VISITORS The Tower of London The city’s most splendid fortress, royal palace, home of the Crown Jewels and notorious prison that was once jail to the two little princes. Adults £34.80 ($67.20); children up to 15 £17.40 ($33.60) Hampton Court Palace The palace of Tudor King Henry VIII, his six wives and their various children, set in 24 hectares of magnificent gardens. Adults £27.50; children up to 15 £13.60 Kensington Palace The birthplace of Queen Victoria, and the home of young royals, as well as Princess Diana who had her home and office there. Adults £20.00; children up to 16 £10.00 Hillsborough Castle A splendid castle in Northern Ireland, County Down, used by presidents and royals through the ages, with 40 hectares of ornamental lawn. Adults £20.20; children up to 15 £10.10 Banqueting House The site of Charles I’s execution in Whitehall with a magnificent Rubens’ ceiling. Prices will be set in 2025 after a refurbishment. All these palaces are run by the Historic Royal Palaces. See hrp.org.uk THE DETAILS VISIT Access to Kew Palace is included with a Kew Gardens ticket and is open 10am-3.15pm. Last entry 2.30pm. Tickets: peak February 1-October 31 - Weekdays adults £22 (online £20) and children £6 (online £5); Weekends adults £24 (online £22) and children £7 (online £6). Off Peak November 1- January 31. Weekdays adults £14 (online £12) and children £5 (online £4); Weekends adults £16 (online £14) and children £6 (online £5). See kew.org The writer travelled at her own expense. How we travel Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletter Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now . Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. License this article Culture holidays London UK Sue Williams is a Sydney-based freelance travel writer, author and journalist who's filed for newspapers, magazines, radio and TV stations around the world. Most viewed on Traveller LoadingDana Hull | (TNS) Bloomberg News Jared Birchall, Elon Musk’s money manager and the head of his family office, is listed as the chief executive officer. Jehn Balajadia, a longtime Musk aide who has worked at SpaceX and the Boring Co., is named as an official contact. Related Articles National Politics | Biden will decide on US Steel acquisition after influential panel fails to reach consensus National Politics | Biden vetoes once-bipartisan effort to add 66 federal judgeships, citing ‘hurried’ House action National Politics | A history of the Panama Canal — and why Trump can’t take it back on his own National Politics | President-elect Trump wants to again rename North America’s tallest peak National Politics | Inside the Gaetz ethics report, a trove of new details alleging payments for sex and drug use But they’re not connected to Musk’s new technology venture, or the political operation that’s endeared him to Donald Trump. Instead, they’re tied to the billionaire’s new Montessori school outside Bastrop, Texas, called Ad Astra, according to documents filed with state authorities and obtained via a Texas Public Information Act request. The world’s richest person oversees an overlapping empire of six companies — or seven, if you include his political action committee. Alongside rockets, electric cars, brain implants, social media and the next Trump administration, he is increasingly focused on education, spanning preschool to college. One part of his endeavor was revealed last year, when Bloomberg News reported that his foundation had set aside roughly $100 million to create a technology-focused primary and secondary school in Austin, with eventual plans for a university. An additional $137 million in cash and stock was allotted last year, according to the most recent tax filing for the Musk Foundation. Ad Astra is closer to fruition. The state documents show Texas authorities issued an initial permit last month, clearing the way for the center to operate with as many as 21 pupils. Ad Astra’s website says it’s “currently open to all children ages 3 to 9.” The school’s account on X includes job postings for an assistant teacher for preschool and kindergarten and an assistant teacher for students ages 6 to 9. To run the school, Ad Astra is partnering with a company that has experience with billionaires: Xplor Education, which developed Hala Kahiki Montessori school in Lanai, Hawaii, the island 98% owned by Oracle Corp. founder Larry Ellison. Ad Astra sits on a highway outside Bastrop, a bedroom community about 30 miles from Austin and part of a region that’s home to several of Musk’s businesses. On a visit during a recent weekday morning, there was a single Toyota Prius in the parking lot and no one answered the door at the white building with a gray metal roof. The school’s main entrance was blocked by a gate, and there was no sign of any children on the grounds. But what information there is about Ad Astra makes it sound like a fairly typical, if high-end, Montessori preschool. The proposed schedule includes “thematic, STEM-based activities and projects” as well as outdoor play and nap time. A sample snack calendar features carrots and hummus. While Birchall’s and Balajadia’s names appear in the application, it isn’t clear that they’ll have substantive roles at the school once it’s operational. Musk, Birchall and Balajadia didn’t respond to emailed questions. A phone call and email to the school went unanswered. Access to high quality, affordable childcare is a huge issue for working parents across the country, and tends to be an especially vexing problem in rural areas like Bastrop. Many families live in “childcare deserts” where there is either not a facility or there isn’t an available slot. Opening Ad Astra gives Musk a chance to showcase his vision for education, and his support for the hands-on learning and problem solving that are a hallmark of his industrial companies. His public comments about learning frequently overlap with cultural concerns popular among conservatives and the Make America Great Again crowd, often focusing on what he sees as young minds being indoctrinated by teachers spewing left-wing propaganda. He has railed against diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, and in August posted that “a lot of schools are teaching white boys to hate themselves.” Musk’s educational interests dovetail with his new role as Trump’s “first buddy.” The billionaire has pitched a role for himself that he — and now the incoming Trump administration — call “DOGE,” or the Department of Government Efficiency. Though it’s not an actual department, DOGE now posts on X, the social media platform that Musk owns. “The Department of Education spent over $1 billion promoting DEI in America’s schools,” the account posted Dec. 12. Back in Texas, Bastrop is quickly becoming a key Musk point of interest. The Boring Co., his tunneling venture, is based in an unincorporated area there. Across the road, SpaceX produces Starlink satellites at a 500,000-square-foot (46,000-square-meter) facility. Nearby, X is constructing a building for trust and safety workers. Musk employees, as well as the general public, can grab snacks at the Boring Bodega, a convenience store housed within Musk’s Hyperloop Plaza, which also contains a bar, candy shop and hair salon. Ad Astra is just a five-minute drive away. It seems to have been designed with the children of Musk’s employees — if not Musk’s own offspring — in mind. Musk has fathered at least 12 children, six of them in the last five years. “Ad Astra’s mission is to foster curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking in the next generation of problem solvers and builders,” reads the school’s website. A job posting on the website of the Montessori Institute of North Texas says “While their parents support the breakthroughs that expand the realm of human possibility, their children will grow into the next generation of innovators in a way that only authentic Montessori can provide.” The school has hired an executive director, according to documents Bloomberg obtained from Texas Health and Human Services. Ad Astra is located on 40 acres of land, according to the documents, which said a 4,000-square-foot house would be remodeled for the preschool. It isn’t uncommon for entrepreneurs to take an interest in education, according to Bill Gormley, a professor emeritus at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University who studies early childhood education. Charles Butt, the chairman of the Texas-based H-E-B grocery chain, has made public education a focus of his philanthropy. Along with other business and community leaders, Butt founded “Raise Your Hand Texas,” which advocates on school funding, teacher workforce and retention issues and fully funding pre-kindergarten. “Musk is not the only entrepreneur to recognize the value of preschool for Texas workers,” Gormley said. “A lot of politicians and business people get enthusiastic about education in general — and preschool in particular — because they salivate at the prospect of a better workforce.” Musk spent much of October actively campaigning for Trump’s presidential effort, becoming the most prolific donor of the election cycle. He poured at least $274 million into political groups in 2024, including $238 million to America PAC, the political action committee he founded. While the vast majority of money raised by America PAC came from Musk himself, it also had support from other donors. Betsy DeVos, who served as education secretary in Trump’s first term, donated $250,000, federal filings show. The Department of Education is already in the new administration’s cross hairs. Trump campaigned on the idea of disbanding the department and dismantling diversity initiatives, and he has also taken aim at transgender rights. “Rather than indoctrinating young people with inappropriate racial, sexual, and political material, which is what we’re doing now, our schools must be totally refocused to prepare our children to succeed in the world of work,” Trump wrote in Agenda 47, his campaign platform. Musk has three children with the musician Grimes and three with Shivon Zilis, who in the past was actively involved at Neuralink, his brain machine interface company. All are under the age of five. Musk took X, his son with Grimes, with him on a recent trip to Capitol Hill. After his visit, he shared a graphic that showed the growth of administrators in America’s public schools since 2000. Musk is a fan of hands-on education. During a Tesla earnings call in 2018, he talked about the need for more electricians as the electric-car maker scaled up the energy side of its business. On the Joe Rogan podcast in 2020, Musk said that “too many smart people go into finance and law.” “I have a lot of respect for people who work with their hands and we need electricians and plumbers and carpenters,” Musk said while campaigning for Trump in Pennsylvania in October. “That’s a lot more important than having incremental political science majors.” Ad Astra’s website says the cost of tuition will be initially subsidized, but in future years “tuition will be in line with local private schools that include an extended day program.” “I do think we need significant reform in education,” Musk said at a separate Trump campaign event. “The priority should be to teach kids skills that they will find useful later in life, and to leave any sort of social propaganda out of the classroom.” With assistance from Sophie Alexander and Kara Carlson. ©2024 Bloomberg News. Visit at bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.GivingTuesday estimates $3.6B was donated this year, an increase from 2023
Trump returns to world stage in Paris with Ukraine war on agenda
Hyderabad, Nov. 23 (PTI) Congratulating Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for her spectacular victory in Wayanad Lok Sabha by-poll, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday said, every member of Congress party is rejoicing and celebrating the occasion. In a post on social media ‘X’, Reddy said her debut into Parliament will prove to be a “Red Letter Day” for our country and democracy. “Heartiest congratulations to our leader Smt @priyankagandhi ji on a spectacular, record victory in #Wayanad Lok Sabha Constituency. Her debut into Parliament will prove to be a Red Letter day for our country and democracy. Women will find a voice like never before. Every member of #Congress family is rejoicing & celebrating this glorious win,” he said. In the morning, during the early trends of vote counting in the Wayanad Lok Sabha by-poll, Reddy predicted that Priyanka Gandhi would surely win by record margins. Priyanka Gandhi won Wayanad Lok Sabha seat by a margin of over 4.1 lakh votes against LDF’s Sathyan Mokeri. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka, senior AICC Observer and Chief Campaigner for Jharkhand Assembly polls, said he is wholeheartedly thanking the people of the eastern state for reaffirming their faith in the INDIA bloc and choosing a “pro-people, pro-poor government once again”. “Congratulations to all the INDIA alliance candidates for this resounding victory! It reflects the unwavering belief of the people in a leadership committed to protecting Jharkhand’s rights and securing its future through our five guarantees,” he said in a post on X. Bhatti is currently in Ranchi. PTI GDK ADB This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content. var ytflag = 0;var myListener = function() {document.removeEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);lazyloadmyframes();};document.addEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);window.addEventListener('scroll', function() {if (ytflag == 0) {lazyloadmyframes();ytflag = 1;}});function lazyloadmyframes() {var ytv = document.getElementsByClassName("klazyiframe");for (var i = 0; i < ytv.length; i++) {ytv[i].src = ytv[i].getAttribute('data-src');}} Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );NINGDE, China , Dec. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On December 24th, CATL officially launched the CATL Bedrock Chassis, the world's first ultra-safe skateboard chassis. With its outstanding performance of withstanding 120 km/h frontal impact without catching fire or exploding, CATL's Bedrock Chassis sets a new standard for intelligent chassis safety, providing comprehensive protection across all scenarios and speed ranges. Lead the industry with the most stringent safety tests With the battery-centered design, CATL's Bedrock Chassis utilizes Cell-to-Chassis integration technology, which directly integrates the battery cells into the chassis, allowing for a shared structural design between them. And based on the decoupling of the chassis from the upper body, the Bedrock Chassis is capable of absorbing 85% of the vehicle's collision energy (compared to around 60% absorbed by traditional chassis). Through various technological breakthroughs, the Bedrock Chassis successfully passed the world's first "highest speed + strongest impact" dual extreme safety test. This achievement enables the chassis to pass the 120 km/h frontal central pole impact test without catching fire, exploding or thermal runway, redefining the benchmark for safety in the industry. Currently, the speed for frontal impact safety test in the commonly used C-NCAP (China New Car Assessment Program) is 56km/h, which, when experiencing a frontal impact at this speed, generates collision energy equivalent to falling from 12-meter-high building. In comparison, a frontal impact at 120km/h is equivalent to falling from a 56-meter-high building, generating a collision energy 4.6 times that of collision at 56km/h. In more stringent frontal pole crash tests, which simulate crashes with non-standard objects such as power poles, large trees, or animals, the impact area is only 1/6 of that in a full-width frontal impact, exponentially increasing impact pressure. At a speed of 120km/h, the impact pressure on the chassis per unit area in a frontal central pole impact is 21 times that of the 56 km/h full-width frontal impact in C-NCAP testing. Due to the extremely high crash speed and intensity, there has been no previous instance of any new energy vehicle daring to challenge a 120km/h frontal pole impact test. With this extreme challenge, CATL's Bedrock Chassis has blazed a fresh trail for the industry. Open the era of ultra-safe transportation through three technological breakthroughs CATL's Bedrock Chassis has delved deep into the realm of structure and material innovation, leveraging three technological breakthroughs to provide unparalleled protection in all scenarios and speed ranges, ensuring rock-solid safety for the entire vehicle. The CATL Bedrock Chassis introduces a revolutionary three-dimensional biomimetic tortoise shell structure, where the body and energy unit framework are integrated, deeply coupled to provide the energy unit with indestructible protection. And its aircraft carrier-grade arresting structure disperses impact forces across multiple pathways during a crash, gradually decelerating the vehicle and significantly reducing the depth and speed at which obstacles intrude the cabin. The utilization of submarine-grade hot-formed steel with a strength of 2000MPa, aerospace-grade aluminum alloy with a strength of 600MPa, and multiple barrier structures further enhance the chassis' rigidity, making it virtually impervious. Moreover, the CATL Bedrock Chassis incorporates an ultra-safe battery cell design, NP technology, and a high-ductility energy-absorbing insulation film, leading the industry in a groundbreaking manner. In terms of high-voltage disconnection, it achieves instantaneous disconnection of high voltage circuit within 0.01 seconds of impact and completes the discharge of residual high-voltage energy in the vehicle within 0.2 seconds, setting a new industry record. Notably, the battery cells have undergone highly demanding tests, including high-speed sled impact tests at 60 km/h, 90-degree bending tests, and breakthrough sawing tests, the battery did not catch fire or explode across all three tests. These tests, all industry-firsts by CATL, have elevated the safety standards of battery cells to new heights. Unlocking the era of customization, and activating a trillion-yuan market The launch of the Bedrock Chassis not only redefines the standard for intelligent chassis safety but also activates a trillion-yuan market. It greatly accelerates the shift towards modular, personalized, and intelligent automotive design. Addressing the common pain points of high investment, long development cycles, and accelerated product iteration in the industry, the Bedrock Chassis incorporates three core characteristics: internal integration, decoupling of the chassis from the upper body, and external openness. With a rich array of toolkits and solution packages, it offers a scalable software and hardware architecture and standardized interfaces, enabling flexible configurations for different vehicle models and scenarios. This allows the realization of a "one chassis architecture, multiple vehicle models" concept and significantly improves development efficiency and shortens the R&D cycle. The time required for mass production of a vehicle is reduced from the traditional 36 months or longer to 12 to 18 months. Furthermore, the Bedrock Chassis breaks the limits of safety and modeling, and expands design flexibility through the design of decoupling of the chassis from the upper body. The fourth-generation Cell-to-Chassis (CTC) technology and inverted battery cell technology enhance the utilization of chassis space while reducing the risk of chassis scraping. Additionally, in terms of intelligence, the chassis supports mechanical decoupling, software decoupling and EE decoupling, enabling L3 to L4 intelligent driving capabilities. It provides high adaptability interfaces and promotes collaborative intelligent applications. At the launch ceremony, AVATR, the first automaker to use Bedrock Chassis, and CAIT-SH, CATL's skateboard chassis arm, signed an agreement to deepen cooperation on CATL's Bedrock Chassis to create a safer, higher-quality travel experience for users. Safety is a never-ending journey. In the future, CATL will continue to break technological barriers through continuous innovation, and work with partners to build a safe ecosystem for EV batteries and vehicles, safeguarding the safety of users. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2587315/1.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2587316/2.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2587317/3.jpg View original content: https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/catl-launches-the-bedrock-chassis-that-withstands-120-kmh-impact-without-catching-fire-or-exploding-302338952.html
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Daily Post Nigeria Christmas: Naira strengthens against dollar on black market Home News Politics Metro Entertainment Sport Business Christmas: Naira strengthens against dollar on black market Published on December 24, 2024 By Ogaga Ariemu The naira strengthened marginally against the dollar in the parallel foreign exchange market on Tuesday, Christmas Eve. A Bureau de Change operator in Wuse Zone 4, Abubakar Alhasan, told DAILY POST that the naira appreciated by N3, trading at N1,637 per dollar on Monday, compared to N1,640 previously. Meanwhile, the naira weakened slightly in the official market, closing at N1,540.45 per dollar on Tuesday, down from N1,539.55 the day before. This development comes as Nigerians prepare for the 2024 Christmas celebrations on Wednesday, December 25. It is worth noting that Nigeria based its proposed N49.7 trillion 2024 budget on an exchange rate of N1,500 per dollar. Related Topics: christmas dollar naira Don't Miss Again NNPCL reduces fuel price You may like Christmas: Tackle widespread hunger, poverty – Catholic Archbishop of Lagos tells Tinubu, Nigerian leaders Christmas: Nigeria on path to restoration – Tinubu Christmas: Lamentations as prices of foodstuff skyrocket in Kaduna Pope Francis to open Holy Year 2025 on Christmas Eve Naira appreciates massively against dollar ahead Christmas holidays Insecurity: FCT Police deploy 3,180 ahead of Christmas celebration Advertise About Us Contact Us Privacy-Policy Terms Copyright © Daily Post Media Ltd'Netanyahu's a weak man, and weak men punish others when they have the opportunity'
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NoneDana Hull | (TNS) Bloomberg News Jared Birchall, Elon Musk’s money manager and the head of his family office, is listed as the chief executive officer. Jehn Balajadia, a longtime Musk aide who has worked at SpaceX and the Boring Co., is named as an official contact. Related Articles National Politics | Trump’s picks for top health jobs not just team of rivals but ‘team of opponents’ National Politics | Biden will decide on US Steel acquisition after influential panel fails to reach consensus National Politics | Biden vetoes once-bipartisan effort to add 66 federal judgeships, citing ‘hurried’ House action National Politics | A history of the Panama Canal — and why Trump can’t take it back on his own National Politics | President-elect Trump wants to again rename North America’s tallest peak But they’re not connected to Musk’s new technology venture, or the political operation that’s endeared him to Donald Trump. Instead, they’re tied to the billionaire’s new Montessori school outside Bastrop, Texas, called Ad Astra, according to documents filed with state authorities and obtained via a Texas Public Information Act request. The world’s richest person oversees an overlapping empire of six companies — or seven, if you include his political action committee. Alongside rockets, electric cars, brain implants, social media and the next Trump administration, he is increasingly focused on education, spanning preschool to college. One part of his endeavor was revealed last year, when Bloomberg News reported that his foundation had set aside roughly $100 million to create a technology-focused primary and secondary school in Austin, with eventual plans for a university. An additional $137 million in cash and stock was allotted last year, according to the most recent tax filing for the Musk Foundation. Ad Astra is closer to fruition. The state documents show Texas authorities issued an initial permit last month, clearing the way for the center to operate with as many as 21 pupils. Ad Astra’s website says it’s “currently open to all children ages 3 to 9.” The school’s account on X includes job postings for an assistant teacher for preschool and kindergarten and an assistant teacher for students ages 6 to 9. To run the school, Ad Astra is partnering with a company that has experience with billionaires: Xplor Education, which developed Hala Kahiki Montessori school in Lanai, Hawaii, the island 98% owned by Oracle Corp. founder Larry Ellison. Ad Astra sits on a highway outside Bastrop, a bedroom community about 30 miles from Austin and part of a region that’s home to several of Musk’s businesses. On a visit during a recent weekday morning, there was a single Toyota Prius in the parking lot and no one answered the door at the white building with a gray metal roof. The school’s main entrance was blocked by a gate, and there was no sign of any children on the grounds. But what information there is about Ad Astra makes it sound like a fairly typical, if high-end, Montessori preschool. The proposed schedule includes “thematic, STEM-based activities and projects” as well as outdoor play and nap time. A sample snack calendar features carrots and hummus. While Birchall’s and Balajadia’s names appear in the application, it isn’t clear that they’ll have substantive roles at the school once it’s operational. Musk, Birchall and Balajadia didn’t respond to emailed questions. A phone call and email to the school went unanswered. Access to high quality, affordable childcare is a huge issue for working parents across the country, and tends to be an especially vexing problem in rural areas like Bastrop. Many families live in “childcare deserts” where there is either not a facility or there isn’t an available slot. Opening Ad Astra gives Musk a chance to showcase his vision for education, and his support for the hands-on learning and problem solving that are a hallmark of his industrial companies. His public comments about learning frequently overlap with cultural concerns popular among conservatives and the Make America Great Again crowd, often focusing on what he sees as young minds being indoctrinated by teachers spewing left-wing propaganda. He has railed against diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, and in August posted that “a lot of schools are teaching white boys to hate themselves.” Musk’s educational interests dovetail with his new role as Trump’s “first buddy.” The billionaire has pitched a role for himself that he — and now the incoming Trump administration — call “DOGE,” or the Department of Government Efficiency. Though it’s not an actual department, DOGE now posts on X, the social media platform that Musk owns. “The Department of Education spent over $1 billion promoting DEI in America’s schools,” the account posted Dec. 12. Back in Texas, Bastrop is quickly becoming a key Musk point of interest. The Boring Co., his tunneling venture, is based in an unincorporated area there. Across the road, SpaceX produces Starlink satellites at a 500,000-square-foot (46,000-square-meter) facility. Nearby, X is constructing a building for trust and safety workers. Musk employees, as well as the general public, can grab snacks at the Boring Bodega, a convenience store housed within Musk’s Hyperloop Plaza, which also contains a bar, candy shop and hair salon. Ad Astra is just a five-minute drive away. It seems to have been designed with the children of Musk’s employees — if not Musk’s own offspring — in mind. Musk has fathered at least 12 children, six of them in the last five years. “Ad Astra’s mission is to foster curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking in the next generation of problem solvers and builders,” reads the school’s website. A job posting on the website of the Montessori Institute of North Texas says “While their parents support the breakthroughs that expand the realm of human possibility, their children will grow into the next generation of innovators in a way that only authentic Montessori can provide.” The school has hired an executive director, according to documents Bloomberg obtained from Texas Health and Human Services. Ad Astra is located on 40 acres of land, according to the documents, which said a 4,000-square-foot house would be remodeled for the preschool. It isn’t uncommon for entrepreneurs to take an interest in education, according to Bill Gormley, a professor emeritus at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University who studies early childhood education. Charles Butt, the chairman of the Texas-based H-E-B grocery chain, has made public education a focus of his philanthropy. Along with other business and community leaders, Butt founded “Raise Your Hand Texas,” which advocates on school funding, teacher workforce and retention issues and fully funding pre-kindergarten. “Musk is not the only entrepreneur to recognize the value of preschool for Texas workers,” Gormley said. “A lot of politicians and business people get enthusiastic about education in general — and preschool in particular — because they salivate at the prospect of a better workforce.” Musk spent much of October actively campaigning for Trump’s presidential effort, becoming the most prolific donor of the election cycle. He poured at least $274 million into political groups in 2024, including $238 million to America PAC, the political action committee he founded. While the vast majority of money raised by America PAC came from Musk himself, it also had support from other donors. Betsy DeVos, who served as education secretary in Trump’s first term, donated $250,000, federal filings show. The Department of Education is already in the new administration’s cross hairs. Trump campaigned on the idea of disbanding the department and dismantling diversity initiatives, and he has also taken aim at transgender rights. “Rather than indoctrinating young people with inappropriate racial, sexual, and political material, which is what we’re doing now, our schools must be totally refocused to prepare our children to succeed in the world of work,” Trump wrote in Agenda 47, his campaign platform. Musk has three children with the musician Grimes and three with Shivon Zilis, who in the past was actively involved at Neuralink, his brain machine interface company. All are under the age of five. Musk took X, his son with Grimes, with him on a recent trip to Capitol Hill. After his visit, he shared a graphic that showed the growth of administrators in America’s public schools since 2000. Musk is a fan of hands-on education. During a Tesla earnings call in 2018, he talked about the need for more electricians as the electric-car maker scaled up the energy side of its business. On the Joe Rogan podcast in 2020, Musk said that “too many smart people go into finance and law.” “I have a lot of respect for people who work with their hands and we need electricians and plumbers and carpenters,” Musk said while campaigning for Trump in Pennsylvania in October. “That’s a lot more important than having incremental political science majors.” Ad Astra’s website says the cost of tuition will be initially subsidized, but in future years “tuition will be in line with local private schools that include an extended day program.” “I do think we need significant reform in education,” Musk said at a separate Trump campaign event. “The priority should be to teach kids skills that they will find useful later in life, and to leave any sort of social propaganda out of the classroom.” With assistance from Sophie Alexander and Kara Carlson. ©2024 Bloomberg News. Visit at bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Share this Story : Senators' Brady Tkachuk, Linus Ullmark headed to 4 Nations Face-Off Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Breadcrumb Trail Links Sports Hockey NHL Senators Extra Senators' Brady Tkachuk, Linus Ullmark headed to 4 Nations Face-Off 'Whenever you have an opportunity like this, you want to make the most of it.' Author of the article: Bruce Garrioch Published Dec 04, 2024 • Last updated 46 minutes ago • 4 minute read Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here . Or sign-in if you have an account. FILE PHOTO: Atlantic Division's Brady Tkachuk of the Ottawa Senators (7) and Matthew Tkachuk of the Florida Panthers (19) watch the rerun of a goal by Matthew assisted by Brady during the NHL All Star Game in February 2023, in Sunrise, Fla. The brothers will both play for Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off. Photo by Marta Lavandier / AP Article content Brady Tkachuk and Linus Ullmark will get a chance to play with some of the National Hockey League’s best in February. Article content We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Try refreshing your browser, or tap here to see other videos from our team . Senators' Brady Tkachuk, Linus Ullmark headed to 4 Nations Face-Off Back to video We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Try refreshing your browser, or tap here to see other videos from our team . Play Video Article content The Ottawa Senators’ captain and top goaltender were the only players on the club’s roster named to represent their respective countries at the first 4 Nations Face-Off from Feb. 12 to Feb. 20 in Montreal and Boston. Tkachuk will suit up for the United States while Ullmark was named to the Team Sweden roster. Advertisement 2 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 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Activate your Online Access Now Article content The 25-year-old Tkachuk will get the chance to suit up with brother Matthew of the Florida Panthers for the first time in games that are meaningful after they played in two National Hockey League all-star games. Tkachuk is excited about the opportunity. “It would definitely be a dream come true,” Tkachuk said of playing with Matthew before the announcement Wednesday. “It’s something we’ve always talked about, representing our country and playing together. “It would be really special for both of us and our entire family.” Matthew was among the first six players named in June while Tkachuk had to lock up his spot with a strong start to the year. He has 13 goals and 28 points in 24 games with the Senators this season and has been solid. This tourney is a stepping stone to playing for the Americans at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. “Whenever you have an opportunity like this, you want to make the most of it,” Tkachuk said. “It’s going to be a highly competitive event and something I’m going to remember forever. “But it could also lead to something (more). You think about winning the Stanley Cup, but you also think about winning a gold medal for your country, too. That’d be pretty cool.” Sports Get the latest sport headlines and breaking news. There was an error, please provide a valid email address. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sports will soon be in your inbox. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again Article content Advertisement 3 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Tkachuk suited up for Team USA at the IIHF world championship last spring at the request of general manager Bill Guerin, along with blueliner Jake Sanderson, who was passed up by the Americans for the 4 Nations tournament. Sanderson has struggled to find consistency this season, and before the roster was announced he already knew he wouldn’t be on the 4 Nations team. Only three of his 14 points this season have come at even strength and he is minus-15. “I was excited at the start of the season, but with the season underway we have so many games it’s hard to think about it,” said Sanderson. The decision by Sweden to name Ullmark as one of its three goalies, along with Filip Gustavsson of the Minnesota Wild and Jacob Markstrom of the New Jersey Devils, isn’t a surprise. Ullmark, 31, hasn’t got off to the kind of start anybody expected with the Senators, but he has shown he can be an elite goaltender in the past and anything can happen in a short tournament. He has a 5-7-2 record in 15 appearances with the Senators, with a 3.07 goals-against average and an. 888 save percentage. Ullmark has a lot of time to improve those numbers, but he has just one win in his last six games with the Detroit Red Wings in town on Thursday. Advertisement 4 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content NHL Network analyst Kevin Weekes, a former NHL goalie, said he believes that Gustavsson has the No. 1 job heading into the tourney, but noted the coaching staff in Sweden has a tough decision to make. “The job of the goaltending is to push each other,” Markstrom said on a conference call with reporters. “We all want to be in the net and play, but (coach) Sam ( Hallam) is going to have tough decisions to make come game time.” Ullmark hasn’t had the chance to put on the Tre Kroner many times in his career so this will be something he’ll remember. “First of all, it’s a huge honour,” Ullmark said. “I haven’t had the opportunity to play with the national team overall. That was just in my career back home over in Sweden, and I think since I’ve come to (North America) I’ve only had the chance to play at the world championship once. “Whenever you get the call, it’s a huge honour and it’s something I’m very proud of. It’s an opportunity you always dream about to play with and against the best. No offence to the world championships, but all the best players aren’t there because of the Stanley Cup playoffs.” Advertisement 5 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content The tourney will start at the Bell Centre in Montreal with four games before relocating to Boston for two games on Feb. 17. The championship game will be played on Feb. 20 at the TD Garden at 8 p.m. Ullmark is excited to see the atmosphere. “We’re playing in Montreal and Boston so it’s two great hubs for it,” Ullmark said. “It’s going to be a great atmosphere. This will be something that you’re never going to forget. It’s very exciting to think about it.” ALFIE HAS A ROLE Former Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson will be at the tourney as an assistant coach with Team Sweden. Swedish coach Sam Hallam confirmed on a conference call with reporters on Wednesday that he’s been in regular contact with Alfredsson in the last few months and the two have discussed systems. Hallam also visited with Alfredsson in October when he was over here doing some scouting. “It’s been more about how we want to play by picking his brain from his experience,” Hallam said in response to a question from Postmedia. BGarrioch@postmedia.com Recommended from Editorial Ottawa Senators defenceman Jake Sanderson looking to be more than just 'OK' Ottawa Senators get back to work with pivotal homestand looming Article content Share this article in your social network Share this Story : Senators' Brady Tkachuk, Linus Ullmark headed to 4 Nations Face-Off Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Comments You must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments. 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Here's everything you need to know Public Service City of Ottawa worker fired after audit uncovers kickback scheme with landlords Local News Dr. Vera Etches appointed head of CHEO Local News Read Next Latest National Stories Featured Local SavingsAs municipalities across Illinois and the country continue to tighten restrictions on where the homeless can sleep, local advocates and service providers asked Chicago officials Wednesday to reconsider the planned closure of one of the city’s largest homeless encampments and not bar people from sleeping in the park in the future. Approximately 30 people are still living in tents scattered across Humboldt Park on the West Side. On Friday, the city plans to clear the encampment, offering its residents “access to support services” as well as the option to move into housing or shelters, a move that has alarmed homeless advocates for its “expedited timeline” and “lack of sufficient “housing pathways,” according to a joint letter sent to the city late last month. Advocates on Wednesday asked that the city not force residents who didn’t yet have a place to go — or who were waiting to move into already-secured permanent housing — out of the park. “The city is displacing people as extreme weather is approaching; (it’s) actually already here,” said Patricia Nix-Hodes, director of the Law Project at the Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness, at a news conference at the park. The Humboldt Park encampment is one of the roughly 100 encampments that have sprung up in recent years as the city contends with a spike in homelessness due to a variety of factors, including a shortage of shelter beds after the pandemic, a lack of affordable housing and the recent migrant crisis that brought tens of thousands of asylum-seekers to Chicago. Friday’s closure is the last step in an 18-month process meant to house the people staying there, although not all the park’s residents have been placed in housing. The neighborhood’s alderman called it the largest effort of its kind in the city’s history. Ordinances that allow fines and possible jail time for people who sleep outside have become increasingly common across the country in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision Grants Pass v. Johnson this summer that allowed municipalities to enforce bans on people sleeping outdoors. About a month after the ruling, California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered state agencies to start removing homeless encampments on state land. About a third of the nation’s homeless population resides in California. In Illinois, Peoria last month became the largest city in the state to pass a measure penalizing public camping , joining north suburban Mundelein, downstate Effingham and suburbs of Peoria, East Peoria and Pekin. Meanwhile, Chicago officials, such as Chief Homelessness Officer Sendy Soto, have ruled that out on the grounds that it would make an already hard-to-reach population even more difficult to care for. On Wednesday, advocates speaking outside what was left of the encampment, littered with yellow clearing notices, said they feared possible criminal enforcement against people who remain in the park Friday. In particular, they said the recent practice of fencing off former tent city sites “mirrors the hollow cruelty of criminalization.” “We do not agree with the practice of closing off public space,” Nix-Hodes said. “The intention is to expedite (the) connection to housing as quickly as possible, not to remove outdoor options for people.” The city has used what is known as an “accelerated moving event,” which condenses the process of placing a person in housing, to shut down tent cities that have sprouted up under viaducts, beside highways and in parks since March 2023. Though homelessness experts and advocates typically support the use of these events as a best practice for helping encampment residents find housing, those who work at Humboldt Park have criticized the process as incomplete, potentially traumatic and harmful to those who might experience homelessness in the future. Workers demolish major homeless encampment by Dan Ryan Expressway ahead of DNC Nix-Hodes and other social workers applauded the city’s efforts to place park dwellers into permanent housing and Fuentes’ work to open new homeless shelters in the neighborhood. According to Fuentes’ office, a total of 106 people who were living in the park have been matched with housing since last year through three accelerated moving events. But Nix-Hodes said Wednesday that not everyone in the park had found housing and even those who had and were waiting to move in could be knocked off-track by Friday’s closure. Of the 63 people who were most recently matched with housing, she estimated that 30 remained in the park as they waited to move into permanent housing. Around 30 more people had no housing option currently on the table, she said.\ Advocates hold up signage as they call on the city to delay clearing the homeless encampment at Humboldt Park during a news conference on Dec. 4, 2024. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) In a social media post Wednesday, Ald. Jessie Fuentes, 26th, said that claims from advocates that the process had been rushed “overlook the thoughtful planning and trauma-informed outreach that have guided every step of this effort.” “Leaving individuals exposed to harsh winter conditions is not acceptable,” she wrote. Other outreach workers said they were worried about people losing important paperwork, medical supplies or other belongings in the shutdown. They also fear that the park’s closure to the homeless will make it more difficult for social service organizations to help people from access services and possible future chances at permanent housing. “One of the largest barriers to housing people is not being able to find them once a rare housing opportunity becomes available,” said outreach worker Ryan Spangler. Jose Miranda, a Humboldt Park resident who used to live in the park, said preventing people from staying in the park wouldn’t solve the problem of homelessness. “We need some more housing that people can afford, and we need it in neighborhoods that people are familiar with, where they’re going to actually feel safe,” he said. “In the meantime, people need to access public places because there’s nowhere else for them to go.” The city plans to stick with its previously-stated Friday closure date, according to a Wednesday statement from the Department of Family Support Services. City workers are still “providing intensive outreach” to house and shelter the remaining residents and help with documentation, treatment for substance use disorders and other needs, the statement said. Fuentes’ office last week pushed back on characterizations of the closure process as criminalization. In a statement to the Tribune, Fuentes’ chief of staff Juanita García said the office was “committed to a human-centered process that prioritizes support.” Ald. Jessie Fuentes, 26th, during a City Council meeting at City Hall in Chicago on Sept. 18, 2024. (Tess Crowley/Chicago Tribune) “Our focus remains on connecting encampment residents to resources that support their transition to stable living conditions while addressing public safety and public health concerns,” she wrote. Since the summer, the city has cleared a number of homeless encampments as part of a larger initiative to close down such sites and relocate residents to shelters or other housing. Advocates for the homeless, however, have criticized such strategies as insufficient and potentially traumatic for encampment residents, emphasizing that the only solution for homelessness is permanent housing. Chicago Tribune’s Sylvan LeBrun and The Associated Press contributed.
AMD Stock Skyrockets! New Technologies Stir Investor ExcitementMutual of America Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Tenable Holdings, Inc. ( NASDAQ:TENB – Free Report ) by 10.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 81,167 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 7,713 shares during the quarter. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Tenable were worth $3,289,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp boosted its stake in Tenable by 20.6% during the first quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 11,482 shares of the company’s stock valued at $568,000 after buying an additional 1,958 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Tenable by 0.3% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 12,543,352 shares of the company’s stock valued at $620,018,000 after acquiring an additional 32,535 shares during the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Tenable by 815.9% during the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 21,799 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,076,000 after purchasing an additional 19,419 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Tenable by 60.2% in the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 21,060 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,041,000 after purchasing an additional 7,910 shares during the last quarter. Finally, American International Group Inc. raised its stake in Tenable by 1.0% in the first quarter. American International Group Inc. now owns 57,385 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,837,000 after purchasing an additional 592 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.06% of the company’s stock. Insider Activity In other news, CFO Stephen A. Vintz sold 3,413 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.75, for a total value of $142,492.75. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 278,493 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,627,082.75. This represents a 1.21 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website . Also, CEO Amit Yoran sold 5,673 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.75, for a total transaction of $236,847.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 39,309 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,641,150.75. The trade was a 12.61 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 22,307 shares of company stock valued at $920,880. Corporate insiders own 4.30% of the company’s stock. Analyst Ratings Changes Read Our Latest Analysis on Tenable Tenable Stock Performance NASDAQ:TENB opened at $42.44 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88. Tenable Holdings, Inc. has a twelve month low of $35.25 and a twelve month high of $53.50. The stock has a market cap of $5.10 billion, a P/E ratio of -83.31 and a beta of 0.83. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $40.96 and its 200 day simple moving average is $41.79. Tenable Company Profile ( Free Report ) Tenable Holdings, Inc provides cyber exposure solutions for in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and Japan. Its platforms include Tenable Vulnerability Management, a cloud-delivered software as a service that provides organizations with a risk-based view of traditional and modern attack surfaces; Tenable Cloud Security, a cloud-native cloud security solutions for security teams to continuously assess the security posture; Tenable Identity Exposure, a solution to secure Active Directory environments; Tenable Web App Scanning, which provides scanning for modern web applications; Tenable Lumin Exposure View, a measurement tool; Tenable Attack Surface Management, an external attack surface management solution; Tenable Security Center, an on-premises solution that provides a risk-based view of an organization’s IT, security and compliance posture; and Tenable OT Security, an operational technology security solution which provides threat detection, asset tracking, vulnerability management, and configuration control capabilities. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TENB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Tenable Holdings, Inc. ( NASDAQ:TENB – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Tenable Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tenable and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
Although Niagara’s food banks haven’t yet resorted to cutting back on the amount of goods they provide to hungry families and individuals, the threat looms as demand for assistance continues to escalate. Feed Ontario’s hunger report for 2024, titled “Unravelling at the Seams” and released Monday, shed light on issues faced by its affiliated food banks amid record usage across the province. The report indicated about 40 per cent of Feed Ontario food banks had to reduce the quantity of food they provide per visit. Locally, Community Care of St. Catharines and Thorold reported one in nine people are now using its food bank. “We’re very consistent, the only thing different is we haven’t had to cut our programs back yet,” said executive director Betty-Lou Souter. In Welland, The Hope Centre has had 22,000 visits so far this year, with more than 2,200 first-timers using its food bank. “We have that conversation internally (about providing less food per visit) all the time, because we’re afraid it could come at any point,” said Jon Braithwaite, chief executive officer. “It’s the staples, we don’t have milk, eggs, bread ... so that’s a challenge for families.” - John Braithwaite “The Hope Centre, unfortunately, at that point, will probably have to make tough decisions about our hours or accessibility to help as many people as we possibly can — but we hope it doesn’t come to that.” For Niagara Falls-based Project Share, executive director Pam Sharp said the organization has needed to purchase food as donations are not sufficiently meeting people’s needs. “At this point, Project Share has not reduced the amount of food we’re giving out, and I hope it doesn’t come to that because the need in Niagara Falls is so great,” she said. Since January, Project Share has served more than 11,000 people through more than 51,000 visits. Braithwaite said gaps exist at food banks struggling to help provide everyday essentials. Jon Braithwaite, chief executive officer of The Hope Centre in Welland. “We’ve seen more than once in the last few months people having a look at what we have available on the shelves and just deferring their visit because there’s just not the selection we typically have,” he said. “It’s the staples, we don’t have milk, eggs, bread ... so that’s a challenge for families because those are important items on grocery lists.” The Feed Ontario report forecasts record-breaking increases for food bank use about — a jump of 25 per cent, representing one in every 13 Ontarians as visits climb by 20 per cent. “It’s an accurate picture of what we’re seeing every day,” said Sharp. “It’s very troublesome and it certainly should not be the way that it is. “Food banks weren’t meant to be this relied-on essential service; we were meant to be a temporary measure, and the situations are only getting worse.” The report called on the province to “take a bold approach on poverty,” through strategies and policies to reduce food insecurity, invest in social housing and increase Ontario’s social assistance programs. “I continually advocate for increased income for low-income earners, for folks on social assistance,” said Braithwaite. “We need to increase those levels, and we need to keep up with inflation. “It doesn’t matter what your incomes are if the cost of living is unaffordable and you’re spending all of your income on rent.” Braithwaite continues to press for a basic income. “It’s a lot more dignity if you’re able to go to a grocery store and shop. As hard as we work to make this a welcoming and dignified (food bank) experience, there’s still a big difference from people who are able to grocery shop on their own.” Souter said people are taking drastic measures to feed their families. “Everything has gone up ... the price of beef, people (are) stealing butter, things are happening we’ve never seen before, everybody’s changing their eating habits, they don’t have any choice,” she said.It may be the smallest official royal palace in the UK but Kew Palace, nestling in the middle of London’s stunning botanical gardens, packs a mighty punch as the real-life stage for Regency romance, madness and Bridgerton betrayal. Kew Palace in the famed botanical Gardens. A place where things go bump in the night. Credit: Getty Images With a history as triumphant and tragic as that of any monarchy worldwide, it’s a building soaked in memories of past lives, which sometimes still leak out from the fabric. “We sometimes hear children running in the corridors even though there’s no-one else here,” says Emma Dearing, the operations manager at Kew Palace. “At other times, there’s the odd smell of tobacco or of a sweet sherberty lemon, possibly from the perfumes the women used to wear. “And I was here in 2022 when the Queen passed away. All the music had been turned off for the mourning period but when we came to check one morning, we could hear music... but the player wasn’t plugged in.” Historic Royal Palaces conservators arrange artefacts and furniture in the Queen’s Boudoir. Credit: Getty Images Kew Palace started out in 1631 as a City of London merchant’s handsome Palladian-style home until it was developed into a royal palace in the 18th Century. Four storeys high, with its exterior painted in a red ochre colour wash, it was used by successive generations of rulers and their families as a weekend country retreat. King George III was no different, taking it as a refuge for himself and his young bride, Queen Charlotte, and, as the years passed, their 15 children. Visits to the palace have surged since Netflix drama Bridgerton became a massive hit around the world. It tells the story of life in that era and how, as George’s demons spiralled him into despair, Charlotte set the social standards and the feckless Prince Regent became ever more powerful. With the show’s fourth season now in production, it seems everyone has been captivated by the story of the royals in one of the most turbulent times in history, and Kew Palace has been the staunch witness to it all. A dust cover is removed from a piano in the Queen’s Drawing Room. Credit: Getty Images If only the walls could talk. But this palace has so much atmosphere, and so many personal objects on display, it’s not too difficult to imagine life as it was in the day. The king’s flute is in the first room. He was a man with a tremendous appetite for all the finer things in life – books, music and art. Charlotte’s harpsichord is also there. The two often played together, while a visiting Mozart famously duetted with her. A 1761 portrait of George’s young bride glows on one wall. It was painted before she arrived from Germany as a 17-year-old, considered young, innocent and unworldly enough to make a suitable match. George’s former tutor and close advisor Lord Bute was charged with finding a perfect match. “She had to be not too clever, not too beautiful, not too political and not too outspoken,” says Dearing. “Several young women missed out for saying or doing the wrong thing. “But Charlotte knew to be careful in front of Lord Bute... and she waited until after the marriage to show her true colours.” She certainly turned out to be wise, with their marriage lasting 57 years until her death. A painting in the Queen’s Bedroom. Credit: Getty Images In another room, there are life-size models of the couple with all of their children – one pregnancy a year still failed to dim Charlotte’s light – while the dining table is laid for dinner that you can imagine being served any moment. Upstairs, the queen’s boudoir is a sumptuous room, with an elaborate plaster ceiling with figures representing each of the five senses. It’s been decorated according to the snatches of the original furnishings that survived, so now has a lively teal wallpaper, gold and black curtains and thick carpets. It’s here that Charlotte and her maids would spend their time sewing and gossiping. There are also the rooms for all the children, with the girls’ rooms the most fascinating. As females, they were allowed to do little, beyond reading, sewing, walking and playing cards. But there’s also an astonishing large dolls’ house on display, with each of the rooms decorated as they are in the real palace with miniature versions of all the furniture. It’s painstaking work, but it makes you appreciate that, in the absence of little else, this is what the life of a female royal would be. There are plenty of memories of even darker days, too, when George first faltered with a mystery illness in 1788. He took sanctuary in Kew Palace at that time, where he was treated with a mix of leeches, cold baths, laxatives and threats, often being contained in a straitjacket and allowed to do nothing for himself. He recovered a year later, but then descended into what was popularly called “madness” again in 1810. Today, it’s thought it could have been the illness porphyria, a metabolic disorder, or he could have been bipolar. It was then that his son, George IV, took power. The palace was then used by the royals as an elaborate weekender in the midst of the fabulous Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, which was set on the path to becoming one of the world’s foremost gardens by Sir Joseph Banks, who bankrolled Captain Cook’s expedition to Australia and then masterminded transportation to the colony. If walls could talk... The King’s Dining Room. Credit: Historic Royal Palaces But the royal home fell out of favour with George IV, back into prominence with William IV, and then, finally, into disuse before Queen Victoria, George III’s granddaughter, opened it to the public. She would have known that Kew Palace’s incredible history, and its amazing location – quite apart from the advent of TV streaming – would continue to attract visitors, as a true jewel of London, forever more. FIVE OTHER ROYAL PALACES OPEN FOR VISITORS The Tower of London The city’s most splendid fortress, royal palace, home of the Crown Jewels and notorious prison that was once jail to the two little princes. Adults £34.80 ($67.20); children up to 15 £17.40 ($33.60) Hampton Court Palace The palace of Tudor King Henry VIII, his six wives and their various children, set in 24 hectares of magnificent gardens. Adults £27.50; children up to 15 £13.60 Kensington Palace The birthplace of Queen Victoria, and the home of young royals, as well as Princess Diana who had her home and office there. Adults £20.00; children up to 16 £10.00 Hillsborough Castle A splendid castle in Northern Ireland, County Down, used by presidents and royals through the ages, with 40 hectares of ornamental lawn. Adults £20.20; children up to 15 £10.10 Banqueting House The site of Charles I’s execution in Whitehall with a magnificent Rubens’ ceiling. Prices will be set in 2025 after a refurbishment. All these palaces are run by the Historic Royal Palaces. See hrp.org.uk THE DETAILS VISIT Access to Kew Palace is included with a Kew Gardens ticket and is open 10am-3.15pm. Last entry 2.30pm. Tickets: peak February 1-October 31 - Weekdays adults £22 (online £20) and children £6 (online £5); Weekends adults £24 (online £22) and children £7 (online £6). Off Peak November 1- January 31. Weekdays adults £14 (online £12) and children £5 (online £4); Weekends adults £16 (online £14) and children £6 (online £5). See kew.org The writer travelled at her own expense.
Nico Iamaleava passed for four touchdowns and Dylan Sampson rushed for 77 yards and set a school-record for TDs as No. 11 Tennessee rolled to a 56-0 victory over UTEP on Saturday afternoon in Knoxville, Tenn. Sampson scored on a 14-yard TD run early in the second quarter for the game's first points to deliver his 22nd TD of tje season to break the Tennessee single-season mark set by Gene McEvers in 1929. Iamaleava was 15 of 20 for 173 yards for Tennessee (9-2), while Bru McCoy caught a pair of TD passes and Squirrel White and Ethan Davis each had a TD reception. Tennessee moved its all-time record to 2-0 against the Miners, also having blanked the Conference USA school 24-0 in 2018. Jermod McCoy and John Slaughter had interceptions for the Volunteers, while Dominic Bailey recovered a fumble to set up a score. Skyler Locklear was 10-of-19 passing for 50 yards with an interception for UTEP (2-9), while rushing for 37 yards on eight carries. JP Pickles also had a turn at QB for the Miners and was 10 of 15 for 72 yards. Kenny Odom had eight receptions for 70 yards. Both defenses set the tone in the first quarter. The UTEP defense allowed just one first down to the Southeastern Conference team in three ugly series in the opening quarter and only 22 yards. In the second quarter, Sampson ended a 68-yard drive by dashing up the middle for 14 yards for the record-setting score to take a 7-0 lead with 13:22 remaining before halftime. After Bailey's fumble recovery, Iamaleava flipped a screen pass that White took 9 yards to the end zone nearly six minutes later. Davis put the Volunteers up 21-0 when he grabbed a short pass for a 1-yard TD. Iamaleava then found Bru McCoy from 18 yards with eight seconds left in the second quarter for a 28-0 halftime lead. McCoy caught his second TD and Peyton Lewis rushed for a pair for a 49-0 lead in the third quarter, but the biggest roar from Volunteers fans came when it was announced Florida beat No. 9 Ole Miss 24-17, to enhance the Volunteers' College Football Playoff hopes. Cameron Seldon's 3-yard run capped the scoring as the Volunteers finished the season undefeated at home for the second time in four years. --Field Level MediaLisa Simpson once said during an episode of “The Simpsons:” What could be more exciting than the savage ballet that is pro football? On Monday night, the entire Simpsons universe gets to experience it in a way not many could have imagined. The prime-time matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys will also take place at Springfield’s Atoms Stadium as part of “The Simpsons Funday Football” alternate broadcast. The altcast will be streamed on ESPN+, Disney+, and NFL+ (on mobile devices). ESPN and ABC have the main broadcast, while ESPN2 will carry the final “ManningCast” of the regular season. The replay will be available on Disney+ for 30 days. Globally, more than 145 countries will have access to either live or on replay. “We’re such huge football fans, and the Simpsons audience and the football audience, I feel, are like the same audience of just American families and football. And the Simpsons are so much a part of the DNA of the American family and culture that for us to, like, mush them together in this crazy video game, it’s so fun,” said Matt Selman, executive producer of “The Simpsons.” While the game is the focal point, the alternate broadcast, in some ways, will resemble a three-hour episode of “The Simpsons.” It starts with Homer eating too many hot dogs and having a dream while watching football. Homer joins the Cowboys in the dream while Bart teams up with the Bengals. Lisa and Marge will be sideline reporters. “That’s the beginning of the story, and the story continues through the entire game until Homer wakes up from his dream at the end of the game. It is like a complete story, and the NFL game will happen in between. It’s just going to be an amazing presentation with tons of surprises,” said Michael “Spike” Szykowny, ESPN’s VP of edit and animation. This is the second year ESPN has done an alternate broadcast for an NFL game. It used the characters from “Toy Story” for last year’s Sunday morning game from London between the Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars. “The Simpsons” has featured many sports-themed episodes during its 35 seasons. Even though “Homer at the Bat” remains the consensus favorite sports episode for many Simpsons fans, there have been football ones such as “Bart Star” and “Lisa The Greek.” There also was a Super Bowl-themed one after Fox’s broadcast of Super Bowl 33 between Denver and Atlanta in 1999. Even though “The Simpsons” remains a staple on Fox’s prime-time schedule, it is part of the Disney family after their acquisition of 20th Century Fox in 2019. All 35 seasons are on Disney+. The show’s creators have worked with ESPN and the NFL to make sure the look and sound is definitely Simpsonsesque. The theme song is a mash-up of “The Simpsons” opening and “Monday Night Football’s” iconic “Heavy Action.” There have also been pre-recorded skits and bits to use during the broadcast featuring Simpson’s legendary voices Hank Azaria, Nancy Cartwright, Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, and Yeardley Smith. The telecast will be entirely animated, with the players’ movements in sync with what is happening in real-time on the field. That is done through player-tracking data enabled by the NFL’s Next Gen Stats system and Sony’s Beyond Sports Technology. While Next Gen Stats tracks where players are on the field with a tracking chip in the shoulder pads, there is skeletal data tracking and limb tracking data — which uses 29 points per player — to get closer to the player’s movements. The other data tracking will allow Beyond Sports and Disney to add special characters to the game. For example, there might be a play where Lisa catches the ball and goes 30 yards instead of Cincinnati’s Tee Higgins. “Lisa is much smaller than the rest of the players. So, in real life, the ball would go over her head, but now, with data processing, we can take the ball and make it go exactly into her hands. So for the viewer, it still looks believable, and it all makes sense,” said Beyond Sports co-founder Nicolaas Westerhof. The other major challenge is making “The Simpsons” two-dimensional cartoon characters into 3-D simulations. Szykowny and his team worked to make that a reality over the past couple of months. “That’s a big leap of faith for them to say, hey, we trust you to make our characters 3-D and work with it. Our ESPN creative studio team has done a wonderful job,” Szykowny said. Lisa, Krusty, Nelson, Milhouse and Ralph will be with Bart and the Bengals; while Carl, Barney, Lenny and Moe join up with with Homer and the Cowboys. The broadcast will also feature ESPN personalities Stephen A. Smith, Peyton Manning and Eli Manning. ESPN’s Drew Carter, Mina Kimes and Dan Orlovsky will call the game from Bristol, Connecticut, and also be animated. They will wear Meta Quest Pro headsets to experience the game from Springfield using VR technology. For Kimes, being part of the broadcast and being an animated Simpsons character is a dream come true. She is a massive fan of the show and has a framed photo of Lisa Simpson — who she said is a personal hero and icon — as part of her backdrop when she makes appearances on ESPN NFL shows from her home in Los Angeles. “I didn’t have any input, and I didn’t see anything beforehand, so I wasn’t sure if it would look like me, but it kind of does, which is very funny,” said Kimes, who drew Simpsons characters when she was a kid. “To see the actual staff turn me into one was a dream.” Even though the Bengals (4-8) and Cowboys (5-7) have struggled this season, Selman thinks both teams have personalities that appeal to “The Simpsons” universe. “We were just so lucky also that the Cowboys are sort of like a Homer Simpson-type team, American team, and Mike McCarthy might be a Homer-type guy, one might imagine,” he said. ”And then you have Joe Burrow on the other side who is a cool young, spiky-haired, blonde bad boy -- he’s like Bart. And that fits our character archetypes so perfectly. “If Homer is mad at Bart and has a hot dog dream while watching ’Monday Night Football’, and then it’s basically McCarthy versus Burrow, Homer versus Bart, and that’s the simple father versus son strangling — Homer strangling Bart dynamic that has been part of the show for 35 years. I don’t know if that would have worked as well if it was like Titans versus Jacksonville. We would have found something. We would have made it work.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
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Syrian opposition fighters have reached the suburbs of the capital, Damascus, and government forces abandoned the central city of Homs as the rebels' surprising offensive picks up speed. President Bashar Assad's whereabouts are unknown. Homs is an important intersection between Damascus and Syria’s coastal provinces that are the Syrian leader’s base of support. In Damascus, residents described a city on edge, with security forces on the streets and many shops running out of staple foods. The rapidly developing events have shaken the region. Lebanon said it was closing all its land border crossings with Syria except for one that links Beirut with Damascus. Jordan closed a border crossing with Syria, too. Eight key countries gathered with the U.N. special envoy on Syria on the sidelines of the Doha Summit for two hours of discussions Saturday night, and more will follow. The U.N. envoy seeks urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Here's the Latest: The Syrian insurgency announced Saturday that it has taken over Homs, following reports of government forces withdrawing from the strategic city. This latest development in the rebels’ swift shock offensive in the war-torn country has left embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad effectively in control of the capital Damascus and two other cities where his key support base among the Alawite Muslim population are based. Homs is an important intersection between Damascus and Syria’s coastal provinces that are the Syrian leader’s base of support. Syrian opposition fighters have reached the suburbs of the capital, Damascus as the rebels’ offensive picks up speed. President Bashar Assad’s whereabouts are unknown. The mother of an Israeli man held hostage in Gaza and seen in a newly released video by Hamas says “enough with the games” and calls for more pressure on the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Einav Zangauker told a demonstration in Tel Aviv on Saturday night that like her son Matan, “there are a few dozen who are currently alive. Don’t allow them to be brought back dead in bags. Take to the streets.” Matan Zangauker, speaking under duress, appealed to the public to protest in front of Netanyahu’s home and “not let him sleep even for a minute.” Zangauker also referred to 420 days of being held by Hamas militants and said “isolation is killing us.” Police used a water cannon on the demonstrators as thousands took to the streets for the weekly anti-government protests. Two officials with Iran-backed Iraqi militias in Syria say the militias are monitoring the situation and have not made a decision to enter in support of Iran’s ally, Syrian President Bashar Assad. One of the officials said Iranian militias had withdrawn to Iraq from their positions in Syria. “All the militias are waiting to see what Bashar Assad will do in Damascus. If he resists and does not allow Damascus to fall, it is possible that the Iraqi factions will intervene for the purpose of support,” he said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter. -- Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad Multi-country discussions on Syria have ended on the sidelines of the Doha Summit. Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein says the countries will issue a statement, and there will be follow-up talks “taking into consideration the practical and real situation on the ground.” He said the talks, which lasted over two hours Saturday evening, focused on how to stop the fighting. Eight key countries including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran gathered with the U.N. special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen. When asked where Syrian President Bashar Assad is, Iraq's foreign minister replied, “I don’t know.” He declined to speculate on whether Assad would be overthrown. Opposition fighters have reached the Damascus suburbs. BEIRUT — Lebanon’s Health Ministry says two Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday killed six people and wounded five others. The ministry said an airstrike on the village of Beit Leif killed five people and wounded five, while a drone strike on the village of Deir Serian killed one person. Israel’s military said it was looking into the report. Despite a ceasefire that went into effect on Nov. 27 to end the 14-month fighting between Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah militants that had escalated into all-out war, violations of the truce have continued. The director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza says the facility came under heavy Israeli bombardment again on Saturday and three medical staff were killed. Dr. Hussam Abu Safia in a statement posted by Gaza’s Health Ministry said the hospital was hit by over 100 projectiles and bombs, and electricity was cut off. He said the surgery department and neonatal unit were hit, and he pleaded for “immediate coordination for repair operations.” Kamal Adwan is one of the last remaining hospitals in northern Gaza. Israeli forces are pressing an offensive that has almost completely sealed off the area from humanitarian aid for two months. Israel’s military said it wasn’t aware of any attack Saturday. The hospital director on Friday said Israeli strikes had killed at least 29 people including four medical staff. Israeli Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi says the military is monitoring the Syrian border to make sure that “local factions do not direct actions towards us,” adding that Israel is not intervening in the events in Syria. Israel’s military has said it is reinforcing its deployment along the border with Syria. Halevi said if “confusion” arises and actions are directed toward Israel by “local factions” taking control of parts of Syria, Israel has a strong “offensive response.” The United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Syria says the U.N. is relocating non-critical staff outside the country. Adam Abdelmoula in a statement Saturday called it a precautionary measure to protect U.N. teams. “Let me emphasize—this is not an evacuation and our dedication to supporting the people of Syria remains unwavering,” Abdelmoula said. The statement did not say how many U.N. staffers were leaving Syria as opposition fighters reached the suburbs of Syria’s capital, Damascus. The statement said the fighting in Syria has displaced over 370,000 people as the humanitarian situation deteriorates, “with many seeking refuge in the northeast and others trapped in frontline areas, unable to escape.” Foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran have gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit along with the U.N. special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, to discuss the situation in Syria. The talks continued late Saturday and no details were immediately available. Qatar, Jordan and Iraq also were part of the discussions as opposition fighters closed in on the Syrian capital, Damascus. BAGHDAD — An Iraqi government spokesperson says about 2,000 Syrian army soldiers have crossed into Iraq seeking refuge as opposition forces advance in Syria. Bassem al-Awadi said the soldiers’ equipment and weapons were registered and taken into custody by the Iraqi army. “We dealt with them according to the principle of good neighborliness and humanity,” he said Saturday. Al-Awadi also said Iraqi officials are concerned about the security of the al-Hol camp and other facilities in northeast Syria where suspected Islamic State group members and their families are detained. The facilities are guarded by U.S.-backed Kurdish forces. Al-Awadi said there is “high security coordination” between Iraqi officials and those forces to “prevent the prisoners from escaping.” Syria's army says it is fortifying its positions in the suburbs of Damascus and in the country’s south, as opposition fighters close in on the capital. The army statement on Saturday also asserted that Syria is being subjected to a “terrorist” and propaganda campaign aiming to destabilize and spread chaos. The statement also said the military is continuing with operations in areas including the central provinces of Hama and Homs, and that it has killed and wounded hundreds of opposition fighters. At least two people were wounded in a car-ramming attack in the West Bank on Saturday, according to the Israeli army and rescue services. The army said the attack took place in the area of the Fawwar refugee camp, near the city of Hebron. It said a soldier was severely wounded, and security forces were looking for the attacker. Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service said another man in his 40s suffered light injuries from shrapnel. The West Bank has seen a surge in violence since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack out of Gaza sparked the war there. Israel has intensified its military raids in the West Bank, targeting what it says are militants planning attacks, and there has also been a rise in Palestinian attacks on Israelis. The Israeli military says it is helping United Nations forces to head off an attack on a U.N. position in Syria close to the Israeli border. The army said in a statement Saturday that an attack was carried out by “armed individuals” on a U.N. post near the Syrian town of Hader and it was “assisting U.N. forces in repelling the attack.” On Friday, Israel’s military said it would reinforce its forces in the Golan Heights and near the border with Syria, where civil war has reignited between the government and opposition fighters. Hamas has released a video showing Israeli hostage Matan Zangauker making an emotional plea for his release and describing the conditions he and other hostages face in Gaza after being seized in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel. His mother, Einav, has become a symbol of the fight to bring back the hostages and is an outspoken critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Matan Zangauker, speaking under duress, appealed to the public to protest in front of Netanyahu’s home and “not let him sleep even for a minute.” Zangauker also referred to 420 days of being held by Hamas militants. “We want to return before we go crazy. Isolation is killing us, and the darkness here is frightening,” he said, describing having little food and medicine and “undrinkable” water. President-elect Donald Trump has made his first extensive comments on dramatic advances by opposition fighters in Syria, saying the besieged President Bashar Assad didn’t deserve U.S. support to stay in power. “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT,” Trump posted on the Truth Social platform on Saturday. Syrian opposition activists and regional officials have been watching closely for any indication from both the Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration of how the U.S. would handle the sudden advances against Syria’s Russian- and Iranian-allied leader. Trump condemned the overall U.S. handling of the 13-year civil war in Syria, but spoke favorably of the routing of Assad and Russian forces. ISTANBUL — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that there was “now a new reality in Syria” following the rapid advance of rebel forces. Speaking in Gaziantep, a city less than 30 miles (48 kilometers) from the Syrian border, Erdogan said that “increasing attacks on civilians” in Syria’s northwest Idlib province “triggered the latest events like the straw that broke the camel’s back.” It was not possible for Turkey to ignore developments in a country with which it shares a lengthy border and it would not allow any threats to its national security, he added in a televised speech. “Our wish is for our neighbor Syria to attain the peace and tranquility it has been longing for for 13 years,” he told a rally of supporters. “We want to see a Syria where different identities live side by side in peace. We hope to see such a Syria in the very near future.” Erdogan claimed President Bashar Assad had erred in rebuffing Turkey’s previous efforts to establish relations, saying Damascus “could not appreciate the value of the hand Turkey extended.” Ankara has supported anti-Assad rebel groups since the early months of the conflict and hosts 3 million refugees dislodged by the fighting. While Turkey lists HTS, the group leading the latest offensive, as a terrorist organization, the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army has worked alongside it. BEIRUT — A resident of the Syrian capital of Damascus says the city is very tense as troops and members of security agencies are deployed on main streets and intersections. The resident told The Associated Press that many shops are closed and those that are open have run out of main commodities such as sugar. He added that if food products are available, some shops are selling them for a price three times higher than usual. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said on condition of anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” — Bassem Mroue in Beirut DOHA, Qatar — Russia’s foreign minister says he has met his Turkish and Iranian counterparts in Doha and that all three countries were calling for an “immediate end to hostile activities” in Syria. Russia and Iran are the chief supporters of Syria’s government, while Turkey backs opposition fighters trying to remove President Bashar Assad from power. Speaking at the annual Doha Forum, Sergey Lavrov said Russia continues to help the Syrian army confront insurgents, military via airstrikes. Asked whether Assad’s rule is threatened by the fast-moving rebel offensive, he said, “We are not in the business of guessing what’s gong to happen.” He blamed the United States and the West for the events in Syria and said, “We are very sorry for the Syrian people who became a subject of another geopolitical experiment. “We are doing everything we can not to make terrorists prevail, even if they say they are not terrorists,” Lavrov said, referring to the de facto leader of the Syrian insurgents, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, who says he has cut links with al-Qaida. His group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, is listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and United Nations. He said Russia, Iran and Turkey want the full implementation of a U.N. resolution, which endorsed a road map to peace in Syria. Resolution 2254 was adopted unanimously in December 2015. The measure called for a Syrian-led political process, starting with the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. Lavrov also downplayed reports that Moscow had withdrawn ships from Russia’s base in Syrian city of Tartus, saying that the vessels had left to take part in naval exercises in the Mediterranean. DOHA, Qatar — The U.S. envoy who brokered the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah says the deal has created a new opportunity for Lebanon to reshape itself. Amos Hochstein told the Doha Forum that the weakness of Hezbollah after nearly 14 months of fighting along, along with blows to its Syrian and Iranian allies, give the Lebanese military and government a chance to reassert itself. “Now is the moment with this ceasefire to rebuild Lebanon again for a much more prosperous future and stronger state institutions,” Hochstein told The Associated Press on the sidelines of the conference. He said Lebanon needs “to do its part” by rebuilding its economy, choosing a president after years of delays and strengthening its central government to attract investors. “And the international community has a requirement and a responsibility to support Lebanon after this devastating conflict and after years of Hezbollah control,” he said. Hochstein told the conference that the turning point in ceasefire efforts was Hezbollah dropping its pledge to keep fighting as long as the war in Gaza continues. He said the change in position was the result of the heavy losses inflicted on Hezbollah, and Lebanese public opinion in favor of delinking the two conflicts. He said key tests for the ceasefire will be whether Israel carries out its promised phased withdrawal from southern Lebanon over the coming two months and whether the Lebanese army is able to move into those areas. BEIRUT — Insurgents and a war monitor say opposition fighters are taking over military posts evacuated by Syrian government forces in the country’s south, bringing them closer to the capital, Damascus. An insurgent official known as Maj. Hassan Abdul-Ghani posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition fighters are now in the town of Sanamein, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the southern outskirts of Damascus, President Bashar Assad’s seat of power. Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said insurgents have entered the town of Artouz, which is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) southwest of Damascus. Opposition fighters have captured wide parts of Syria, including several provincial capitals, since they began their offensive on Nov. 27. BEIRUT — Lebanon’s government has approved a plan to deploy more troops along the border with Israel, part of the ceasefire deal that ended the Israel-Hezbollah war. In a rare Cabinet meeting outside of Beirut, held Saturday at a military base in the southern port city of Tyre, the government also approved a draft law to reconstruct buildings destroyed during the Israel-Hezbollah war that broke out in October 2023 and ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire last week. Information Minister Ziad Makary told reporters after the meeting that the committee whose job is to monitor the ceasefire that went into effect on Nov. 27 will hold its first meeting on Monday. The committee is made up of military officials from the U.S., France, Israel and Lebanon as well as the U.N. peacekeeping force deployed along the border. As part of the ceasefire deal, during the first 60 days Israeli troops will have to withdraw from Lebanon, while Hezbollah will have to pull its heavy weapons away from the border area to north of the Litani river. The Lebanese army said this week it will begin recruiting more soldiers, apparently to deploy them along the border with Israel. BEIRUT — The Syrian army withdrew from much of southern Syria on Saturday, leaving more areas of the country, including two provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters, the military and an opposition war monitor said. The redeployment away from the provinces of Daraa and Sweida came as Syria’s military sent large numbers of reinforcements to defend the key central city of Homs, Syria’s third largest, as insurgents approached its outskirts. The rapid advances by insurgents are a stunning reversal of fortunes for Syria’s President Bashar Assad , who appears to be largely on his own, with erstwhile allies preoccupied with other conflicts. His chief international backer, Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine, and Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up his forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran, meanwhile, has seen its proxies across the region degraded by Israeli regular airstrikes. JERUSALEM — Israeli security forces killed a Palestinian man after he attacked them at a border crossing in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Saturday morning, police said. The man shot firecrackers at security forces at the checkpoint and threatened them with a knife, the police statement said. The man wore a t-shirt emblazoned with a symbol of the Islamic State militant group, according to an Associated Press reporter Israeli fire has killed at least 700 Palestinians in the West Bank since the Israel-Hamas war began last year, Palestinian health officials said. In that time, Palestinian militants have launched a number of attacks on soldiers at checkpoints and within Israel. DOHA, Qatar — The prime minister of Qatar says he has seen new momentum in Gaza ceasefire efforts since the U.S. presidential election, with the incoming Trump administration seeking an end to the conflict before it takes office. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, a key mediator in the ceasefire efforts, declined to give specifics of the negotiations but told an international conference in Doha that the gaps between the sides are not large. Qatar, which has served as a mediator throughout the 14-month war, suspended its efforts last month in frustration over the lack of progress. But Sheikh Mohammed said his government has re-engaged in recent days after determining a new willingness by both parties to reach a deal. ’We have sensed after the election that the momentum is coming back,” he told the Doha Forum on Saturday. He said has been in touch with both the outgoing Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration and found that while there are some differences in approach, both are committed to the same goal of ending the war. ’We have seen a lot of encouragement from the incoming administration in order to achieve a deal, even before the president comes to the office,” Sheikh Mohammed said. He declined to discuss details, saying he wanted to “protect the process,” but expressed hope for a deal “as soon as possible.” ’If you look at the gaps and the disagreements, they are not something substantial that really affects the agreement,” he said. CAIRO — At least 29 people were killed, including four medical staff, when Israeli strikes pummeled the area around one of the last remaining hospitals in northern Gaza, Palestinian officials said. The situation in and around the Kamal Adwan hospital is “catastrophic,” according to Dr. Hussam Abu Safia, the director of the hospital. The dead included five children and five women, according to the hospital casualty list, which was obtained by The Associated Press. Friday’s strikes also wounded 55 people including six children and the five women, according to the hospital. Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya is one of the few hospitals still partially operating in the Gaza’s northernmost province , where Israeli forces are pressing an offensive that has almost completely sealed off the area from humanitarian aid for two months. Israel’s military denied that its forces had struck the hospital or operated inside it. The army said that in the past few weeks, “coordinated efforts with international organizations have been underway in order to transfer patients, companions, and medical staff to other hospitals.” An Indonesian medical team which had been assisting in Kamal Adwan for the past week was forced to evacuate on foot after the area was surrounded by Israeli soldiers, according to a statement from the team. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the medical team’s expulsion. Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, the World Health Organization representative in the Palestinian territories, said an Israeli tank approached the hospital at around 4 a.m. Friday. Although no official Israeli evacuation order was issued, “people started to climb the wall to escape, and this panic attracted IDF (Israeli) fire,” he said. He spoke by video from Gaza to journalists in Geneva. Kamal Adwan Hospital has been struck multiple times over the past two months since Israel launched a fierce military operation in northern Gaza against Hamas militants. In October, Israeli forces raided the hospital, saying that militants were sheltering inside and arrested a number of people, including some staff. Hospital officials denied the claim. MANAMA, Bahrain — Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister has reiterated the kingdom’s call for an end to the war in the Gaza Strip. Prince Faisal bin Farhan described Israel as acting with “impunity and is getting away without punishment” in its war on Hamas there. The prince said that any permanent solution requires a two-state solution, with the Palestinians having east Jerusalem as their capital. After the speech, Prince Turki al-Faisal, a prominent royal in the kingdom who led Saudi intelligence for more than two decades and served as ambassador to the U.S. and Britain, took the stage. He harshly criticized Israel’s conduct in the wars. “Israel has become an apartheid, colonial and genocidal state,” Prince Turki said. “It is about time for the world to address that issue and take the necessary steps to bring those who are thus charged by the International Criminal Court to justice.” Israeli officials could not be immediately reached for comment on Prince Turki’s remarks. The Saudis spoke at the International Institute for Security Studies’ Manama Dialogue in Bahrain.
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DALLAS — Delta and United became the most profitable U.S. airlines by targeting premium customers while also winning back a significant share of travelers on a tight budget. That is squeezing smaller low-fare carriers like Spirit Airlines , which recently filed for bankruptcy protection. Some travel-industry experts think Spirit’s troubles indicate that travelers on a budget will be left with fewer choices and higher prices. Other discount airlines are on much better financial footing than Spirit, but they too are lagging far behind the full-service airlines when it comes to recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic . Most industry experts think Frontier Airlines and other so-called ultra-low-cost carriers will fill the vacuum if Spirit shrinks , and that there is still plenty of competition to prevent prices from spiking. Spirit Airlines lost more than $2.2 billion since the start of 2020. Frontier has not reported a full-year profit since 2019, though that slump might end this year. Allegiant Air’s parent company is still profitable, but less so than before the pandemic. Those kind of numbers led United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby to declare recently that low-cost carriers were using “a fundamentally flawed business model” and customers hate flying on them. Kirby’s touchdown dance might turn out to be premature, but many analysts are wary about the near-term prospects for budget airlines, which charge cheaper fares but more fees than the big airlines. A traveler speaks with a Spirit Airlines agent May 24 at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport ahead of Memorial Day in Atlanta. Low-cost airlines grew in the last two decades by undercutting big carriers on ticket prices, thanks in large part to lower costs, including hiring younger workers who were paid less than their counterparts at Delta Air Lines, United and American Airlines . Wages soared across the industry in the past two years, however, narrowing that cost advantage. The big airlines rolled out and refined their no-frills, “basic economy” tickets to compete directly with Spirit, Frontier and other budget carriers for the most price-sensitive travelers. The budget airlines became less efficient at using planes and people. As their growth slowed, they wound up with more of both than they needed. In 2019, Spirit planes were in the air an average of 12.3 hours every day. By this summer, the planes spent an average of two more hours each day sitting on the ground, where they don't make money. Spirit's costs per mile jumped 32% between 2019 and 2023. Another issue is that airlines added too many flights. Budget airlines and Southwest Airlines were among the worst offenders, but full-service airlines piled on. To make up for a drop in business travel, the big carriers added more flights on domestic leisure routes. The result: Too many seats on flights into popular tourist destinations such as Florida and Las Vegas, which drove down prices, especially for economy-class tickets. Rows of seats are shown Sept. 26 on a retrofitted Southwest Airlines jet at Love Field in Dallas. Low-cost airlines are responding by following the old adage that if you can't beat them, join them. That means going premium, following the rapidly growing household wealth among upper-income people. The top one-fifth of U.S. households by income added $35 trillion in wealth since 2019 and holds nearly nine times the wealth of the middle fifth, according to the Federal Reserve . Frontier Airlines organized its fares into four bundles in May, with buyers of higher-priced tickets getting extras such as priority boarding, more legroom and checked bags. The airline dropped ticket-change or cancellation fees except for the cheapest bundle. Spirit followed in August with similar changes, blocking middle seats and charging passengers more for the comfort of aisle and window seats. Spirit Airlines CEO Ted Christie received a $3.8 million retention bonus a week before the Florida-based carrier filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Christie will retain the bonus if he remains with the company for another year. The airline's stock has dropped over 90% this year. It has faced challenges including a blocked $3.8 billion merger with JetBlue and failed talks with Frontier. The pandemic disrupted Spirit's operations and travel patterns, reducing its daily aircraft utilization and increasing costs. Demand has shifted to full-service airlines as higher-income travelers vacation more, while inflation impacts lower-income consumers. JetBlue Airways , which began flying more than 20 years ago as a low-cost carrier but with amenities, is digging out from years of steady losses. Under new CEO Joanna Geraghty, the first woman to lead a major U.S. airline, JetBlue is cutting unprofitable routes, bolstering core markets that include the Northeast and Florida, and delaying deliveries of $3 billion worth of new planes. Starting next year, Southwest Airlines will toss out a half-century tradition of “open seating” — passengers picking their own seat after boarding the plane. Executives say extensive surveying showed 80% of customers preferred an assigned seat, and that's especially true with coveted business travelers. More crowded planes also might be pushing passengers to spend more to escape a middle seat in the back of the plane. In other parts of the world, budget carriers are doing just fine. They bounced back from the pandemic just like their more highbrow competitors. Some industry experts say low-cost carriers in Asia and Europe have always attracted a more diverse mix of passengers, while in the U.S., affluent and middle-class travelers look down their noses at low-cost carriers. Jamie Baker, an analyst for JPMorgan, says he has many college friends who work in London and fly Irish airline Ryanair all the time, but he hardly knows anyone who has ever been on a Spirit or Frontier plane. A small plane tows a banner April 13, 2016, over Flint Bishop International Airport as part of ceremonies marking Allegiant Air joining the airport. Delta CEO Ed Bastian is less dismissive of the “lower-end carriers” in the U.S. than United's Kirby. "I don’t see that segment ever disappearing,” Bastian said after Spirit’s bankruptcy filing. “I think there’s a market for it.” At the same time, he said the upscale moves by ultra-low-cost carriers are having no effect on his airline. Delta targets upscale travelers but also introduced basic-economy fares a decade ago, when discounters emerged as a growing threat to poach some of Delta's customers. “Just calling yourself a premium carrier and actually being a premium carrier are two totally different things,” Bastian said “It's not the size of the seat or how much room you have; it's the overall experience.” As frequent flyers know, air travel isn't cheap. With the summer months in full swing, demand for air travel is expected to reach record numbers in 2024 as airlines continue to recover after the COVID-19 pandemic. Luckily for those who are looking for ways to save on travel , one way to cut costs on your next vacation may be in finding the right places to fly in and out of. FinanceBuzz looked at average domestic airfares from the 45 busiest airports in the U.S. to learn which airports are best for travelers on a budget, as well as which ones to avoid if you are trying to travel affordably. Overall, the national average airfare cost decreased by 3.1% from 2022 to 2023 when adjusted for inflation (which translates to a 0.9% increase in non-adjusted dollars). The last time inflation-adjusted airfare costs dropped year-over-year was during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, when it fell 18% between 2019 and 2020. Largely, this is good news for consumers who can spend less on airfare and have more room in their budget for hotels , restaurants, and other travel fees. In addition to earning rewards on airfare, most travel credit cards offer rewards for spending in these areas, which can offset overall vacation costs. Orlando International Airport (MCO) had the lowest airfare cost in the country at $265.58 on average. Home to iconic theme parks like Universal Studios, Sea World, and most notably, Walt Disney World, Orlando is one of America's top tourist destinations. This is welcome news for those bracing for expensive park tickets and food prices at the House of Mouse. Beyond saving with a Disney credit card on park-related purchases, visitors can also maximize savings by using a credit card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve which offers an annual travel credit, or even using a 0% APR credit card if you don't want to pay for your entire vacation at once. Another Florida-based airport, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), has the second-lowest average airfare cost in the country — tickets here are only about $5 more expensive than Orlando's. Just a few dollars behind FLL is Las Vegas's Harry Reid International (LAS), where fares cost $272.15 on average. LAS is also the last airport on our list where average airfare costs are less than $300. Oakland International Airport (OAK) has the fourth-lowest average airfare costs in the country at $303.79. And the fifth-least expensive airport, Chicago Midway International (MDW), comes in at $308.27. For the third year in a row, Dulles International Airport (IAD) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) have the two highest average fares in the country. Flights from Dulles cost $488.40 on average in 2023, while flights from San Francisco cost $444.59. Some silver lining for travelers who need to travel through Dulles: IAD is home to some of the best airport lounges in the country, including the recently-opened Capital One Lounge, available to Capital One Venture X or Venture Rewards credit card holders. With free food, drinks, and recharging stations, lounges can be one easy way to offset otherwise-expensive airport costs. Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) has the third-highest average airfare in the country, with an average cost of $438.34. Last on our top-five list of the most expensive airports are Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) and Detroit Metro Airport (DTW). Average airfare from Charlotte cost $436.80 last year, while flights from Detroit had an average price tag of $427.05. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) was the biggest affordability winner over the last year, dropping prices by more than $18 on average. SEA jumped from 36th most-affordable place last year to 28th place this year — an increase of eight spots. Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) and Portland International Airport (PDX) experienced similar jumps, rising by seven spots each. RDU went from 24th place in 2022 to 17th in 2023, while PDX went from 42nd to 35th. Two different airports fell by eight spots in our affordability rankings, tied for the biggest drop of the year. The average fare at Sacramento International Airport (SMF) rose by $18.66 year-over-year, which led SMF to go from 18th in last year's affordability rankings to 26th this year. Prices rose even more at St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL), going up by $19.64 on average from one year to the next. Consequently, STL fell from 21st to 29th place in terms of affordability. As you plan your travel, you'll find costs can vary widely at a single airport. With a little research and smart planning, you can find a deal at any airport. Here are a few tips to save on airfare: We looked at 2023 airfare data released by the U.S. Department of Transportation in May 2024 to compare domestic airfares by origin city. This report calculated average fares based on domestic itinerary fares. "Itinerary fares" consist of round-trip fares, unless only a one-way ticket was purchased. In that case, the one-way fare was used. Fares are based on total ticket value, including the price charged by the airline plus any additional taxes and fees levied at the time of purchase. Fares include only the price paid at booking and do not include fees for optional services like baggage fees. Averages also do not include frequent-flyer or "zero fares" or a few abnormally high reported fares. This stor y was produced by FinanceBuzz and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media. Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!Doubles duo earn shot at another title
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