By Nate Raymond (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Democrats and Republicans clinched a late-night deal on Wednesday that clears the way for votes on a group of President Joe Biden's nominees for federal trial courts in exchange for not pushing forward with four nominees to serve on appellate courts, leaving vacancies that Republican President-elect Donald Trump can fill. The deal, described by a spokesperson for Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday, was reached after Senate Republicans launched a campaign to try to stall and prevent Democrats from fulfilling their plan to confirm as many life-tenured judges as possible before Trump takes office in January. Senate Republicans had previously said they had votes to block at least two of the four appellate court nominees, including Adeel Mangi, who would have become the first Muslim federal appellate judge if confirmed to the Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The deal was sure to disappoint progressive advocates who have been pushing Democrats to fill as many judicial vacancies as possible following the Nov. 5 election, which handed the White House to Trump and control of the Senate to Republicans. "Willingly gifting Donald Trump the chance to appoint judges more committed to political agendas than the rule of law is doing a dangerous disservice to the American people," Maggie Jo Buchanan, the director of the progressive legal group Demand Justice, said in a statement. Since the election, the Senate has confirmed eight of Biden's judge picks, bringing the total number of confirmed judicial nominees to 221. The Democratic-led Senate on Thursday confirmed one more, Sharad Desai, to serve as a trial court judge in Arizona. Republicans at Trump's urging had tried to put procedural roadblocks in place to slow down the process and peel away votes in a Senate that Democrats narrowly control 51-49. But several Republican senators have missed votes to confirm judges. Under the deal, the Senate will vote on confirming seven nominees to district court judges who Schumer had already teed up when it returns from its post-Thanksgiving recess in exchange for no longer pursuing the confirmation of the four nominees to higher-level appellate courts. The Senate will also take up consideration of five other district court nominees who whose nominations were advanced on Thursday by the Senate Judiciary Committee. "The trade was four circuit nominees -- all lacking the votes to get confirmed -- for more than triple the number of additional judges moving forward," a Schumer spokesperson said in a statement. The other appellate nominees were Ryan Park, up for a seat on the Richmond, Virginia-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals; Julia Lipez, who was nominated to the Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals; and Karla Campbell, who was nominated to the Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. (Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Deepa Babington)1 2 3 4 Hyderabad: President Droupadi Murmu has said that citizens of the country maintained the flame of national unity for centuries despite attempts to fragment and undermine Indian society. Inaugurating the RSS-backed three-day Lokmanthan event here on Friday, Murmu said artificial divisions have been created to disrupt the inherent unity and stressed that it was important to instil a sense of ‘nation first' among the citizens. The President said that colonial rulers not only ‘exploited India economically' but also aimed to ‘dismantle its social fabric'. She pointed out that those who overlooked India's profound intellectual heritage fostered a sense of cultural inadequacy among the populace. "These impositions eroded our sense of togetherness. Centuries of oppression ingrained a mindset of servitude among the citizens," she said. She emphasised that the essence of Bharatiya (Indian-ness) sustained the spirit of national unity. "Regardless of whether we are ‘vanvasis' (forest dwellers), residents of rural areas or urban citizens, our primary identity is that of being Indians. This profound sense of national unity enabled us to remain cohesive in the face of various challenges," she said. President Murmu underscored India's historical global impact, asserting that the nation's religious traditions, artistic expressions, musical heritage, medical practices, technological advancements, languages and literary contributions have garnered widespread respect. "Indian philosophical systems are pioneers in presenting the world with the concept of ideal life values. We must uphold and reinforce the esteemed legacy of our forebearers," she said. Telangana governor Jishnu Dev Varma said that citizens should thrive and make the commitment to retain the unity in diversity in the country. "Each state has worked on this. All of us combined should take the country forward," he said. Union coal minister G Kishan Reddy, Telangana women and child welfare minister Seethakka and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat attended the event. The three-day event of nationalist thinkers will see the presence of Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Gajendra Shekhawat.
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Rajkot: A 61-year-old silver merchant, Chandrakant Sachaniya , was shocked when he received a call from one Amit Jain, Mumbai-based jeweller claiming that he had been duped out of a large sum of money by someone using Sachaniya's fake enterprise profile on Facebook. Following the phone call, Sachaniya filed a complaint at the Rajkot cybercrime police station on Saturday. IPL 2025 mega auction IPL Auction 2025: Who got whom IPL 2025 Auction: Updated Full Team Squads The case was registered under sections 318(4), 319(2) of the BNS Act and applicable IT Act provisions, concerning deceptive practices involving a fake Facebook account. Police traced the contact number posted on the fake Facebook page to Jalpesh Nariyani, leading to an FIR against him and other potential accomplices who might be identified during the ongoing investigation. The accused allegedly established a fraudulent business presence by creating a counterfeit Facebook profile of Sachaniya's enterprise — Prem Silver Ornaments. As per Sachaniya's complaint, Jain who owns Shanti Gold, informed him about the dubious Facebook account. Police reported that Jain lost Rs 7.64 lakh to these cybercriminals. The fraudulent profile, operating under ‘Prem Silver Ornaments', showcased jewellery images and provided WhatsApp contact details. Upon Jain's contact, the perpetrator sent business credentials of Prem Silver Ornaments through WhatsApp and persuaded him to submit an order. The fraudster instructed payment to be made to an account held by Kaushik Parmar, but did not deliver any goods. Investigations showed that the scam involved creating false social media content under ‘Prem Silver Ornaments Rajkot' to deceive various traders. Sachaniya indicated that these activities were harming his legitimate business's standing.Since Donald Trump’s rise to prominence in the 2016 presidential campaign and through his first term, out-of-office election-denial antics and his 2024 campaign, many supporters have built a cottage industry excusing his more extravagant claims. They’ve often said that Americans should take him seriously, but not literally. While it’s true President-elect Trump often engages in figurative rhetoric that’s best to ignore, we believe that Americans should take his plan for mass deportations both literally and seriously, given its prominence in his campaign. It’s real cause for concern. The “Mass Deportation Now” placards held by Trump supporters at his rallies were literally a sign of his intentions. Trump’s and Vice President J.D. Vance’s rhetorical attacks on Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were another — even though most of them are here legally and definitely were not eating pet cats and dogs. Then there’s this doozy. Judicial Watch’s Tom Fitton posted the following on Truth Social: “GOOD NEWS: Reports are the incoming @RealDonaldTrump administration prepared to declare a national emergency and will use military assets to reverse the Biden invasion through a mass deportation program.” Trump responded to the post by writing “TRUE!!!” ABC News noted that Trump, at his Madison Square Garden rally at the end of his campaign, promised, “On Day 1, I will launch the largest deportation program in American history to get the criminals out.” That statement includes wiggle room given its focus on criminals — and it’s still unclear how he might deploy military assets toward that end. The military has long provided operational assistance to border authorities, according to CBS News. “(L)ongstanding federal law generally prohibits the use of the military for domestic law enforcement,” it noted, but exemptions exist. CBS quoted incoming border czar Tom Homan suggesting a more limited military role with Trump adviser Stephen Miller saying they might deputize the National Guard. Even if the Trump team finds some legal justification, the proposal raises serious constitutional and practical concerns. We’re most concerned by the idea of declaring a national emergency. That tactic is rarely used in this country because it gives the federal government limitless powers to conduct raids and is distinctively un-American. There’s also talk of creating large detainment facilities. This would entail invoking the Insurrection Act, which allows the feds to deploy the military in the face of “unlawful obstructions, combinations, or assemblages, or rebellion ... (that) make it impracticable by the ordinary course of judicial proceedings.” Presidents rarely use such martial law-like powers and only for targeted situations — not for nationwide operations. Anyone who believes that only criminal aliens have reason to fear such an approach are forgetting why our nation’s Founding Fathers included myriad checks and balances in the Constitution, were so concerned about due-process rights and so intent on limiting the unilateral power of the federal executive branch. American citizens — and non-criminal illegal immigrants — almost certainly will get caught up in any dragnets. Conservatives who were rightly appalled at unilateral COVID-19 restrictions on our liberties should also oppose this type of power grab. The Orange County Register remains proud of its opposition to the Japanese-American internment during World War II. This editorial board will likewise oppose any similar abuses now. It’s too early to know the details, but we take the threats literally and seriously.
Cooper Rush passed for two touchdowns, Dallas returned two kicks for scores and the visiting Cowboys held off the Washington Commanders in a wild fourth quarter for a 34-26 win. Dallas led 10-9 after three quarters. With Washington trailing 27-26, Jayden Daniels hit Terry McLaurin for an 86-yard touchdown pass with 21 seconds left, but Austin Seibert missed his second extra point of the game. Juanyeh Thomas of the Cowboys then returned the onside kick 43 yards for a touchdown. Rush completed 24 of 32 passes for 247 yards for Dallas (4-7), which snapped a five-game losing streak. Rico Dowdle ran 19 times for 86 yards and CeeDee Lamb had 10 catches for 67 yards. Jayden Daniels was 25-of-38 passing for 274 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for reeling Washington (7-5), which has lost three straight. He ran for 74 yards and one score. McLaurin had five catches for 102 yards. Trailing 20-9 late in the fourth quarter, Daniels drove Washington 69 yards in nine plays and hit Zach Ertz for a 4-yard touchdown. Daniels ran for two points and Washington trailed 20-17 with 3:02 remaining. KaVontae Turpin muffed the ensuing kickoff, picked it up at the one, and raced 99 yards for a touchdown to make it 27-17. Austin Seibert's 51-yard field goal pulled the Commanders within 27-20 with 1:40 left, With the score tied 3-3, Washington took the second half kick and went 60 yards in 10 plays. On third-and-three from the Dallas 17, Daniels faked a handoff, ran left and scored his first rushing touchdown since Week 4. Seibert missed the point after and Washington led 9-3. Dallas answered with an 80-yard drive. A 23-yard pass interference penalty gave the Cowboys a first-and-goal at the 4. Two plays later Rush found Jalen Tolbert in the end zone and the extra point made it 10-9. Brandon Aubrey's 48-yard field goal made it 13-9 with 8:11 remaining in the game. On the next play, Daniels hit John Bates for 14 yards, but Donovan Wilson forced a fumble and Dallas recovered at the Washington 44. Five plays later, Rush found Luke Schoonmaker down the middle for a 22-yard touchdown and Dallas led 20-9 with 5:16 left. The first quarter was all about field goals. Aubrey's field goal attempt was blocked on the opening drive and Michael Davis returned it to the Dallas 40. Washington later settled for Seibert's 41-yard field goal. On the next Dallas drive, Aubrey hit the right upright from 42 yards out, and then Seibert missed from 51 yards. With 14 seconds left in the half, Rush found Jalen Brooks for a 41-yard gain to the Washington 28. On the next play Aubrey connected from 46 yards to tie it. --Field Level Media
Speculation, not facts, used against terrorism suspect Harkat, his lawyer tells judgeISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistani police arrested thousands of Imran Khan supporters ahead of a rally in the capital to demand the ex-premier’s release from prison, a security officer said Sunday. Khan has been behind bars for more than a year and has over 150 criminal cases against him. But he remains popular and his political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf or PTI, says the cases are politically motivated. Shahid Nawaz, a security officer in eastern Punjab province, said police have arrested more than 4,000 Khan supporters. They include five parliamentarians. Pakistan has sealed off Islamabad with shipping containers and shut down major roads and highways connecting the city with PTI strongholds in Punjab and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. Tit-for-tat teargas shelling between the police and the PTI was reported on the highway bordering Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Earlier on Sunday, Pakistan suspended mobile and internet services “in areas with security concerns.” The government and Interior Ministry posted the announcement on the social media platform X, which is banned in Pakistan. They did not specify the areas, nor did they say how long the suspension would be in place. “Internet and mobile services will continue to operate as usual in the rest of the country,” the posts said. Meanwhile, telecom company Nayatel sent out emails offering customers “a reliable landline service” as a workaround in the areas suffering suspended cellphone service. Khan's supporters rely heavily on social media to demand his release and use messaging platforms like WhatsApp to share information, including details of events. PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram said Khan's wife Bushra Bibi was traveling to Islamabad in a convoy led by the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur. “She cannot leave the party workers on their own,” said Akram. There was a festive mood in Peshawar, with PTI members dancing, drumming and holding up pictures of Khan as cars set off for Islamabad. The government is imposing social media platform bans and targeting VPN services , according to internet advocacy group Netblocks. On Sunday, the group said live metrics showed problems with WhatsApp that were affecting media sharing on the app. The U.S. Embassy issued a security alert for Americans in the capital, encouraging them to avoid large gatherings and warning that even “peaceful gatherings can turn violent.” Last month, authorities suspended the cellphone service in Islamabad and Rawalpindi to thwart a pro-Khan rally. The shutdown disrupted communications and affected everyday services such as banking, ride-hailing and food delivery. The latest crackdown comes on the eve of a visit by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko . Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said authorities have sealed off Islamabad's Red Zone, which houses key government buildings and is the destination for Khan's supporters. “Anyone reaching it will be arrested,” Naqvi told a press conference. He said the security measures were in place to protect residents and property, blaming the PTI for inconveniencing people and businesses. He added that protesters were planning to take the same route as the Belarusian delegation, but that the government had headed off this scenario. Naqvi denied cellphone services were suspended and said only mobile data was affected. Associated Press writers Riaz Khan in Peshawar and Asim Tanveer in Multan contributed to this report.Cowboys win wild one vs. Commanders to halt five-game slide
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“W hat just happened? It was the economy, stupid!” CNN news anchor David Goldman declared when Donald Trump (Republican) won as president of the United States of America for 2025-2029 at the Nov. 5 national elections (CNN, Nov. 6). The American people want a change. Goldman said, “a signi fi cant number of voters blame President Joe Biden and Trump’s opponent, Vice-President Kamala Harris, for failing to make enough improvements to Americans’ financial situations over the past four years. Poll after poll suggested that Americans hold largely negative views about the US economy” (Ibid.). They jealously want a return to “the American dream” of prosperity and indulgence. “Americans are living in the moment, optimistic that Trump can ease the pain of high inflation over the past four years. Election polls consistently showed the economy and inflation were top of mind. In the last Forbes/HarrisX national poll released the Monday before Election Day, 36% of respondents said prices/inflation were their top concern, followed by immigration and the economy at 32% and 31%, respectively,” post-election news analyses said ( USA Today, Nov. 7). The Center for American Progress Action Fund (CapAction), an independent, nonpartisan (US) policy institute and advocacy organization, volunteered an analysis of Trump’s economic plan based on what he had focused on in his first term (2017-2021) as president. “The most significant piece of legislation former President Donald Trump signed during his first term had a dramatic cut in the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% as its centerpiece. (This was supposed to create more jobs, bring down prices, stimulate the economy.) That corporate tax cut did not trickle down to ordinary workers but cost $1.3 trillion and helped fuel a record $1 trillion in stock buybacks the year after it passed ( americanprogressaction.org , June 12). “We know that ‘privately, Trump has told allies that he is keenly interested in cutting corporate tax rates again,’ according to The Washington Post , even as corporate profits hit near record highs in 2023... The Post also reported that Trump’s advisers... have discussed proposals to make deeper cuts to the overall corporate tax rate, potentially to as low as 15%. As antitax advocate Grover Norquist told The Post, ‘I would be very surprised’ if he abandoned the push for lower corporate taxes... ‘All the people advising him before for sure think the 15% is where we need to go’.” (Ibid.). Why the contretemps of Trump taking over the reins of the world’s leading economy, at this time of struggling out of the global recession caused by the four-year COVID pandemic and the disruption of world peace. The world economy will be affected by the US economy. Noam Chomsky, American professor emeritus (MIT) and a “public intellectual” known for his work in linguistics, political activism and social criticism, wrote a book, Requiem for the American Dream: The 10 Principles of Concentration of Wealth & Power (2017) in which he asks “why America seemed to reach the zenith of its economic and civic vibrancy in the 1950s and ’60s and then go into a decline that has left few except the top tenth of a percent of Americans truly fulfilled or satisfied.” Reviewer Godfrey Cheshire subtly connects Chomsky’s thesis of the change in American culture and thought to the socio-politics of Trump’s first term as President (coinciding with the launch of Chomsky’s book and the partner-documentary in 2017). “Chomsky aptly calls the process (the change) he describes a ‘vicious cycle’ — the more money that goes into politics with the intent of influencing it, the more our politics is ruled by money rather than any other definition of national welfare.” Is it suggested that Trump, being unchangeably a businessman, aka, a capitalist, will be guided by his affinity with the wealthy (as he was reportedly supported in the elections by “big business”) in guiding the economics of his country? Note that bringing down the US corporate income tax rate from the present 21% to 15% (the centerpiece of Trump’s economic plan) will give the largest 100 US companies (the Fortune 100) a total estimated annual tax cut of $48 billion. These corporations collectively reported $1.1 trillion in profits in their last annual reports ( americanprogressaction.org , op cit.). Cutting the corporate tax rate to 15% would cost roughly $1 trillion over 10 years based on Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) and US Treasury estimates. Yet the shortfall in government revenues will be suffered by the people, as the tax cuts (from 35% to 21%) in Trump’s first term did not trickle down to boost productivity, employment, and lower-level household income. The (US) Center on Budget and Policy Priorities judged that “the 2017 Trump Tax Law was skewed to the rich, expensive, and failed to deliver on its promises.” Close to the elections, the Center warned that “A high-stakes tax policy debate will accelerate this year through 2025 over the pending expiration of the individual income and estate tax provisions of the 2017 Trump tax law. Policymakers should use this opportunity to work toward a tax code that raises more revenues, is more progressive and equitable, and supports investments that make the economy work for everyone” ( cbpp.org , June 13). America is told by its own sages to “make haste slowly” and to weigh and vet its strategies for economic development. Priority is to watch and avert the social degradation and undemocratic exclusion of the less privileged from opportunities for a better quality of life. The rich already have all they need and all they want. Some less-developed countries like the Philippines might still subconsciously look up to America for how to think or act in national situations or issues — perhaps a vestige of the “relief” from 300 years of Spanish colonization. (No Filipino bashing here, for wanting to be “Westernized,” as the whole world is now actually still led by America.) Is it surprising that our socio-politics and economics are pretty much like those of the US? President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. signed on Nov. 11 a new tax law called CREATE MORE, or the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy Act. It will amend Republic Act 11534 or the original CREATE Act that was crafted to help enterprises recover from the impact of the pandemic by lowering the corporate income tax rates and making the country more appealing to businesses by rationalizing fiscal incentives ( manilatimes.net , Nov. 11). Its centerpiece policy is the reduction of the corporate income tax to 20% from the current 25%. There will be additional tax deductions and absolutely no taxes for specific registered business enterprises and incentives for foreign direct investors. Its implementing rules and regulations (IRR) will be released soon. Economist JC Punongbayan comments that official projections from Malacañang say the CREATE MORE will admittedly lower tax revenues by P5.9 billion. (Understated?) “That’s not a terribly large amount. In fact, such forgone revenues would be just 2% of the government’s revenues in September 2024. But still, it represents an erosion of much-needed revenues, at this time when the budget deficit and public debt remain too high compared to our nation’s income. If you check the latest debt statistics, you’ll see that the debt-to-GDP ratio has inched up to 61.3% in September 2024. That’s higher than the 2023 level of 60.1%.” ( Rappler , Nov. 15) Deloitte analyst Senen Quizon points out that CREATE MORE allows the president to grant incentives without the recommendation of the Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB), the government body with the authority to grant tax incentives to Registered Business Enterprises (RBEs). At present, the President has residual power to grant incentive packages based on the FIRB’s criteria and recommendations ( deloitte.com/ph , Nov. 4). Oops! Hope the RBE/ Foreign Direct Investors will not have to worry about the “unexpected costs” of doing business in the Philippines. Amelia H. C. Ylagan is a doctor of Business Administration from the University of the Philippines. ahcylagan@yahoo.comCorona Schools link pupils’ close performance to equity of teaching, learning
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Gazans have little faith in ICC warrantsRajkot silver trader’s fake FB profile used to dupe Mumbai merchantA teen was shocked to receive his first Christmas gift from a youth homeless charity after struggling with a difficult home life. James came into contact with the Quarriers just before after being forced to rely on temporary accommodations and sleeping on friends couches because "home wasn’t a good place”. After moving into his own flat he faced spending the festive season alone. The 16-year-old, like many youngsters from a difficult background, had missed out on many of life’s most basic joys due to poverty and family instability. One of those joys the charity was able to give him, was his first Christmas gift. Julia Cringean, Project Manager for Quarriers Youth Housing Support Services said: “When we told him we had a present for him, he was visibly shocked "He said: ‘I’ve never had a gift at Christmas'. Knowing that he was finally included, that someone cared enough to make his Christmas special, meant the world to him.” “Homelessness is horrendous at any time. But for a young person, especially at Christmas, it can feel unbearable. “Many of the young people we support don’t have a stable family to rely on. At Christmas, that missing family support is felt even more deeply. We want to make Christmas as nice as it possibly can be for them. They need essentials - and they need to feel included in the festive season.” The Quarriers have now launched their Christmas Appeal to provide a special gift for every young person it supports who is experiencing homelessness. They are calling for Glaswegians to give the gift of Christmas this year and provide dignity and practical support to a young person going through difficult times. Quarriers Youth Homeless Services, five of which are based in Glasgow city centre, provides support to young people, including those leaving care or at risk of homelessness. The service aims to provide a person-centred, holistic and multi-disciplinary approach to enable young people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless to access appropriate advice/guidance; access and sustain temporary or permanent accommodation safely; improve their quality of life; and be socially included. Julia continued: “Poverty and homelessness rob young people of a fair start in life, impacting everything from their education to their mental health. Our Christmas Appeal is one way we can bring hope to these young lives, offering gifts that are symbols of care and belonging.” To learn more click
By BEN FINLEY Associated Press The Christmas tradition has become nearly global in scope: Children from around the world track Santa Claus as he sweeps across the earth, delivering presents and defying time. Each year, at least 100,000 kids call into the North American Aerospace Defense Command to inquire about Santa’s location. Millions more follow online in nine languages, from English to Japanese. On any other night, NORAD is scanning the heavens for potential threats, such as last year’s Chinese spy balloon. But on Christmas Eve, volunteers in Colorado Springs are fielding questions like, “When is Santa coming to my house?” and, “Am I on the naughty or nice list?” “There are screams and giggles and laughter,” said Bob Sommers, 63, a civilian contractor and NORAD volunteer. Sommers often says on the call that everyone must be asleep before Santa arrives, prompting parents to say, “Do you hear what he said? We got to go to bed early.” NORAD’s annual tracking of Santa has endured since the Cold War, predating ugly sweater parties and Mariah Carey classics. The tradition continues regardless of government shutdowns, such as the one in 2018, and this year. Here’s how it began and why the phones keep ringing. The origin story is Hollywood-esque It started with a child’s accidental phone call in 1955. The Colorado Springs newspaper printed a Sears advertisement that encouraged children to call Santa, listing a phone number. A boy called. But he reached the Continental Air Defense Command, now NORAD, a joint U.S. and Canadian effort to spot potential enemy attacks. Tensions were growing with the Soviet Union, along with anxieties about nuclear war. Air Force Col. Harry W. Shoup picked up an emergency-only “red phone” and was greeted by a tiny voice that began to recite a Christmas wish list. “He went on a little bit, and he takes a breath, then says, ‘Hey, you’re not Santa,’” Shoup told The Associated Press in 1999. Realizing an explanation would be lost on the youngster, Shoup summoned a deep, jolly voice and replied, “Ho, ho, ho! Yes, I am Santa Claus. Have you been a good boy?” Shoup said he learned from the boy’s mother that Sears mistakenly printed the top-secret number. He hung up, but the phone soon rang again with a young girl reciting her Christmas list. Fifty calls a day followed, he said. In the pre-digital age, the agency used a 60-by-80 foot (18-by-24 meter) plexiglass map of North America to track unidentified objects. A staff member jokingly drew Santa and his sleigh over the North Pole. The tradition was born. “Note to the kiddies,” began an AP story from Colorado Springs on Dec. 23, 1955. “Santa Claus Friday was assured safe passage into the United States by the Continental Air Defense Command.” In a likely reference to the Soviets, the article noted that Santa was guarded against possible attack from “those who do not believe in Christmas.” Is the origin story humbug? Some grinchy journalists have nitpicked Shoup’s story, questioning whether a misprint or a misdial prompted the boy’s call. In 2014, tech news site Gizmodo cited an International News Service story from Dec. 1, 1955, about a child’s call to Shoup. Published in the Pasadena Independent, the article said the child reversed two digits in the Sears number. “When a childish voice asked COC commander Col. Harry Shoup, if there was a Santa Claus at the North Pole, he answered much more roughly than he should — considering the season: ‘There may be a guy called Santa Claus at the North Pole, but he’s not the one I worry about coming from that direction,’" Shoup said in the brief piece. In 2015, The Atlantic magazine doubted the flood of calls to the secret line, while noting that Shoup had a flair for public relations. Phone calls aside, Shoup was indeed media savvy. In 1986, he told the Scripps Howard News Service that he recognized an opportunity when a staff member drew Santa on the glass map in 1955. A lieutenant colonel promised to have it erased. But Shoup said, “You leave it right there,” and summoned public affairs. Shoup wanted to boost morale for the troops and public alike. “Why, it made the military look good — like we’re not all a bunch of snobs who don’t care about Santa Claus,” he said. Shoup died in 2009. His children told the StoryCorps podcast in 2014 that it was a misprinted Sears ad that prompted the phone calls. “And later in life he got letters from all over the world,” said Terri Van Keuren, a daughter. “People saying ‘Thank you, Colonel, for having, you know, this sense of humor.’” A rare addition to Santa’s story NORAD’s tradition is one of the few modern additions to the centuries-old Santa story that have endured, according to Gerry Bowler, a Canadian historian who spoke to the AP in 2010. Ad campaigns or movies try to “kidnap” Santa for commercial purposes, said Bowler, who wrote “Santa Claus: A Biography.” NORAD, by contrast, takes an essential element of Santa’s story and views it through a technological lens. In a recent interview with the AP, Air Force Lt. Gen. Case Cunningham explained that NORAD radars in Alaska and Canada —- known as the northern warning system — are the first to detect Santa. He leaves the North Pole and typically heads for the international dateline in the Pacific Ocean. From there he moves west, following the night. “That’s when the satellite systems we use to track and identify targets of interest every single day start to kick in,” Cunningham said. “A probably little-known fact is that Rudolph’s nose that glows red emanates a lot of heat. And so those satellites track (Santa) through that heat source.” NORAD has an app and website, www.noradsanta.org, that will track Santa on Christmas Eve from 4 a.m. to midnight, mountain standard time. People can call 1-877-HI-NORAD to ask live operators about Santa’s location from 6 a.m. to midnight, mountain time.
Why Enterprises Are Betting on Blockchain-Based Smart ContractsThe American Athletic Conference is the only Football Bowl Subdivision league whose championship game matchup is set: Army vs. Tulane. The final week of the regular season will determine pairings for the other eight conferences. Here's a look at the possible matchups in the Power Four and Group of Five. All championship games are Dec. 7 except in the AAC, Conference USA and Mountain West, which will be played Dec. 6. SMU vs. Miami or Clemson. Miami is in if it beats Syracuse. Clemson is in if Miami loses. Oregon vs. Ohio State, Penn State or Indiana. Ohio State is in if it beats Michigan or if Penn State and Indiana lose this week. Penn State is in if it beats Maryland and Ohio State loses. Indiana is in if it beats Purdue and Ohio State and Penn State lose. Arizona State vs. Iowa State if both win this week. Multiple scenarios including BYU, Colorado and other teams exist otherwise. Georgia vs. winner of Texas-Texas A&M game. Army vs. Tulane. Jacksonville State vs. Liberty, Western Kentucky or Sam Houston. Liberty is in with a win over Sam Houston. WKU is in with a win over Jacksonville State and a Liberty loss. Sam Houston is in with a win over Liberty and a Jacksonville State win. Miami, Bowling Green and Ohio are tied for first place and control their destinies. Miami-Bowling Green winner is in, as is Ohio if it beats Ball State. Other scenarios exist that include those teams and Buffalo. Boise State vs. UNLV or Colorado State. If UNLV and CSU both win or lose their final regular-season games, the tie would be broken by either College Football Playoff rankings or results-based computer metrics. Louisiana-Lafayette at Marshall if both win their games this week. Other scenarios exist if one or both lose. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
Bethlehem marks a second subdued Christmas during the war in GazaThe reigning Super Bowl champions saw their run of 15 straight wins ended by the Buffalo Bills last week. The Kansas City Chiefs bounced back from their first defeat of the season with a dramatic 30-27 win over the Carolina Panthers. The reigning Super Bowl champions saw their run of 15 straight wins ended by the Buffalo Bills last week, but got back to winning ways thanks to star quarterback Patrick Mahomes. After a late Chuba Hubbard touchdown and two-point conversion had made it 27-27, the Chiefs got the ball back with less than two minutes on the clock and a 33-yard run from Mahomes helped set up Spencer Shrader for a game-winning field goal. Mahomes finished the game with 269 yards and three touchdowns, two of them to Noah Gray in the first half. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs scored two touchdowns as the Detroit Lions beat the Indianapolis Colts 24-6 to improve their record to 10-1, matching that of the Chiefs. David Montgomery also ran for a score before having to leave the game with a shoulder injury. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ended a four-game losing streak with a 30-7 win over the New York Giants, who “mutually agreed” to terminate the contract of quarterback Daniel Jones earlier this week. Jones’ replacement Tommy DeVito was sacked four times while opposite number Baker Mayfield ran for a touchdown and completed 24 of 30 pass attempts for 294 yards. Rachaad White, Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker also ran for touchdowns in a one-sided contest. The Dallas Cowboys ended their five-game losing streak with a remarkable 34-26 win over the Washington Commanders, with 30 points scored in the final three minutes. KaVontae Turpin’s 99-yard kick-off return for a touchdown looked to have sealed victory for the Cowboys, only for the Commanders to respond with a field goal before getting the ball back with 33 seconds remaining. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin sprinted 86 yards through the Dallas defence for a touchdown, only for Austin Seibert to miss the extra point. The Commanders tried an onside kick and Juanyeh Thomas returned it 43 yards for a touchdown. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw four touchdown passes as the Miami Dolphins cruised to a 34-15 win over the New England Patriots, while the Tennessee Titans pulled off a surprise 32-27 victory at the Houston Texans. The Minnesota Vikings improved to 9-2 thanks to a 30-27 overtime win against the Chicago Bears, Parker Romo kicking the decisive field goal from 29 yards.