NoneArticle content The first of the on Friday night was unimaginable for a Seattle mother who, just a year ago, was listening to Taylor Swift’s music to soothe her daughter who was fighting for her life in hospital. “Taylor Swift performed a mash-up with Never Grow Up — the one song we would always skip when Eme was on life support because I couldn’t sing ‘don’t you ever grow up’ lyrics to my baby when we didn’t know if she was going to pull through,” said Danielle Barnard. The 44-year-old and her 13-year-old daughter attended the sold-out concert at B.C. Place on Friday. The last time the pair were set to see Swift live, in May, the teenager was unable to attend after suffering a cardiac arrest. “To watch Eme sing those lyrics alongside tens of thousands of other people, now OK after that incident — I sobbed.” The moment was one of many emotionally charged experiences during the Eras Tour, which spanned five continents and nearly 150 shows, making history as the first tour to surpass $1 billion in earnings. In Vancouver Friday, Eme wore a lilac dress, Swift’s signature country curls and a tiara inspired by the pop star’s Fearless album. “A girl came up to me, said ‘I love your outfit, you need this bracelet,’ and handed me a Speak Now friendship bracelet,” the teen said. “It was the best day of my life.” Outside the stadium Friday, hundreds of fans gathered, undeterred by officials’ warnings to stay away, dancing under umbrellas to the sound of live music spilling from the venue. Jennifer Yahne, in town from Seattle for Sunday’s show, said she was “blown away” by the sight. “There was a concert outside of the concert that you could hear for blocks,” said Yahne. “We walked down Beatty Street and there were at least 1,000 people, all having fun — there was no mob, it was all community spirit.” Inside B.C. Place, Swift was greeted with a roar for the first of three sold-out shows marking the grand finale of her record-breaking Eras Tour. As part of a local fan-organized initiative, the crowd gave extended cheers and foot-stomping to Swift following her performance of Champagne Problems from her album, Folklore. Swift said: “Right now, honestly, I’m just feeling so overjoyed that we decided to spend our last couple of shows in Vancouver. You are so unbelievable; I love you so much.” “We spent the entire year of 2024 travelling around the world,” Swift said earlier in the show. “And we thought to ourselves, ‘Where have the fans been so generous, so welcoming, so warm-hearted, where they know every single word, where they not only sing them but scream them? Oh, we’ve gots (sic) to go back to Canada, and so now here we are.” Celebrities including Michael Bublé, Sarah Paulson and Leona Lewis were spotted among the crowd Friday. Social media accounts shared photos of Swift with a film crew onstage during the Vancouver concert, fuelling speculation of an Eras documentary, which comes after the release of her concert film that is the highest-grossing concert movie, earning over $267 million For Barnard, it was the “most positive and joyful group” she’d ever encountered during a concert, while also being the loudest and rowdiest. “During Shake It Off, everyone was jumping up and down so hard that the stage was shaking,” said her daughter Eme.
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The gravy boat may not appear very often on the average dining room table, but you can bet your bottom dollar it will be there at least once a year when your family and friends gather for a Thanksgiving dinner. For many, turkey and all the trimmings, or fixings depending on which side of the Mason-Dixon line you're from, is an incomplete dish without a liberal dousing of silky gravy to moisten things up. Gravy may have become a convenience food with the advent of stock cubes, but there's still nothing like a steaming drizzle of authentic homemade gravy made with meat juices to crown your delicious Thanksgiving feast. The term "gravy" almost certainly derives from the French word grave, found in many medieval French cookbooks. It referred to the natural cooking juices that flowed from roasting meat. The addition of gravy to a Thanksgiving meal probably stems from the very first Thanksgiving in 1621. According to the , the initial Thanksgiving was a three-day celebration in which the leftovers from one day's roast were put in a pot and boiled to make a broth that was then thickened with grain for the following day's meal. Nowadays, that broth accompanies the main meal as gravy. The idea of a sauce made from meat drippings will likely sound pretty gross for vegans and vegetarians. But there are many ways to moisten your Thanksgiving meal with gravy without introducing any animal products to the plate. One popular recipe involves mixing flour with coconut milk, vegetable stock, soy sauce, salt and pepper. The mixture can then be reduced over a flame until it has the desired consistency. Another alternative, if you're vegetarian, not vegan, is to use natural yogurt seasoned with herbs and spices. Where there's a will, there's a way. helps you find the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of kitchen and cooking experts are always testing new , and more so you can shop for the best of the best. : Spatchcock turkey: Defrost turkey: Pumpkin pie:Brazil’s Bolsonaro planned and participated in coup plot, police report alleges
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PHOENIX — Multiple people have been displaced after an apartment fire in central Phoenix Tuesday morning, according to authorities. The Phoenix Fire Department said the fire started around 11:15 a.m. at an apartment complex near Central Avenue and Buckeye Road. >> Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone. Fire crews responded after smoke coming from multiple units was reported. "Firefighters arrived to find a well-involved apartment unit on the first floor already spreading to the occupancy above," the fire department said in a social media post. All the residents were able to get out of the burning building before fire crews arrived. Firefighters were informed that a dog had been left inside, so crews jumped into action to save the animal. "Firefighters were able to quickly locate the dog and reunite him safely with the owner," the fire department said in the post. A total of eight people were displaced in the fire. A community assistance program is working to help them. No injuries were reported, the fire department said. Investigators are looking into the cause of the fire. Watch 12News+ for free You can now watch 12News content anytime, anywhere thanks to the 12News+ app! The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV . 12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona. Users can also watch on-demand videos of top stories, local politics, I-Team investigations, Arizona-specific features and vintage videos from the 12News archives. Roku : Add the channel from the Roku store or by searching for "12 News KPNX." Amazon Fire TV : Search for "12 News KPNX" to find the free 12News+ app to add to your account , or have the 12News+ app delivered directly to your Amazon Fire TV through Amazon.com or the Amazon app. More ways to get 12News On your phone: Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone. iTunes Google Play On your streaming device: Download 12News+ to your streaming device The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV. 12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona. On social media: Find us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram and YouTube .
But it is not the largest prize a person has won in this country. Here are the 10 biggest UK lottery winners – all from EuroMillions draws – and what some of them did with their fortunes. – Anonymous, £195,707,000 A UK ticket-holder scooped the record EuroMillions jackpot of £195 million on July 19 2022 – the biggest National Lottery win of all time. – Joe and Jess Thwaite, £184,262,899.10 Joe and Jess Thwaite, from Gloucester, scooped a then record-breaking £184,262,899 with a Lucky Dip ticket for the draw on May 10 2022. At the time, Joe was a communications sales engineer, and Jess ran a hairdressing salon with her sister. – Unclaimed ticket holder, £177 million Tuesday’s winner is wealthier than former One Direction member Harry Styles and heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua, who are both worth £175 million, according to the latest Sunday Times Rich List. Players have been urged to check their tickets to see if they can claim the prize. – Anonymous, £170,221,000 The fourth biggest winner of the National Lottery to date scooped £170 million in October 2019, after matching all the numbers in a Must Be Won draw. – Colin and Chris Weir, £161,653,000 Colin and Chris Weir, from Largs, North Ayrshire, bagged their historic winnings in July 2011, making them the biggest UK winners at the time. Colin used £2.5 million of his fortune to invest in his beloved Partick Thistle Football Club, which led to one of the stands at the stadium being named after him. He later acquired a 55% shareholding in the club, which was to be passed into the hands of the local community upon his death. He died in December 2019, aged 71. The couple also set up the Weir Charitable Trust in 2013 and donated £1 million to the Scottish independence referendum in 2014. They divorced in the same year as Colin’s death. – Adrian and Gillian Bayford, £148,656,000 Adrian and Gillian won 190 million euros in a EuroMillions draw in August 2012, which came to just over £148 million. The couple bought a Grade II listed estate in Cambridgeshire, complete with cinema and billiards room, but it was sold in 2021, some years after the pair divorced, as reported by The Mirror. – Anonymous, £123,458,008 The seventh biggest National Lottery winner won a Superdraw rollover jackpot in June 2019, and decided not to go public with their success. – Anonymous, £122,550,350 After nine rollovers, one lucky anonymous ticket-holder bagged more than £122 million in April 2021. – Anonymous, £121,328,187 Another of the UK’s top 10 lottery winners found their fortune through a Superdraw jackpot rollover, this time in April 2018. – Frances and Patrick Connolly, £114,969,775 Former social worker and teacher Frances set up two charitable foundations after she and her husband won almost £115 million on New Year’s Day 2019. She estimates that she has already given away £60 million to charitable causes, as well as friends and family. She considers helping others to be an addiction, saying: “It gives you a buzz and it’s addictive. I’m addicted to it now.”Man City stumble again while Arsenal and Bayern Munich earn dominant wins
Matt Adams is worried about the financial future of Azle ISD. The district hasn’t splurged on a new fleet of buses or taken on risky debt. It hasn’t seen an unprecedented surge of new students or hired a large group of new employees. Instead, Azle ISD, recognized by the state for its fiscal accountability , is facing a possible budgetary crisis that cropped up seemingly overnight. “It’s kind of out of our hands at this point,” Adams, the district’s assistant superintendent of finance and operations, said. Azle is one of six districts at risk of state funding cuts in 2026, according to preliminary data presented by the Tarrant Appraisal District at its Nov. 8 board meeting. That data shows taxable property values in Azle, Carroll, Castleberry, Everman, Grapevine-Colleyville and Fort Worth ISDs are well below market value in three months of sales data. That’s a trend that, if it continues through next year, could spell trouble for schools, whose state funding is largely reliant on accurate appraisals. “Those are concerning numbers, whomever they relate to, and this is serious stuff,” outgoing tax assessor-collector and board member Wendy Burgess said at the meeting. Get essential daily news for the Fort Worth area. Sign up for insightful, in-depth stories — completely free. The math behind the property value study School districts, like other taxing entities, have no control over the assessed value of a property. That role falls to the Tarrant Appraisal District, whose newly expanded board approved extensive changes to the reappraisal plan that governs property assessments. Those changes, which include freezing residential values through 2025 and switching to a two-year residential appraisal schedule, are intended to slow property value increases. While most board members have celebrated the changes as a net-positive for taxpayers, school districts across the county fear there will be negative consequences for their finances. Worst cases would see districts failing what’s known as the property value study, which governs the complicated school funding formula in Texas. Amanda Brownson, deputy executive director of the Texas Association of School Business Officials, said equal and uniform appraisals are a function of the state constitution. “The property value study is a mechanism to enforce that constitutional notion of fair uniform taxation,” she continued. The study is conducted by the state comptroller’s office every two years to determine education funding distribution. If the appraisal district’s property value estimations for a school district are outside a 10% difference threshold from the state’s, a school district immediately loses funding. Schools between a 5%-10% threshold have a two-year grace period to bring their values into line with the state’s estimates. Because of the way its deadlines work, the appraisal district wouldn’t know for sure until January 2026 — more than five months after 2025 tax rolls are certified — if a school district failed the state property value study. “They’re midway through their fiscal year before they know they fail,” Brownson said. “And it’s hard, from a budget perspective, to make the kinds of corrections you need to make at that point in the fiscal year, to adjust your revenue down.” Chief appraiser Joe Don Bobbitt has presented board members with sales data for the months since the reappraisal plan was approved in August, in an effort to keep them informed on which school districts could be in trouble. His first report, in August, flagged only Carroll ISD as a potential cause for concern. His November report, by contrast, added five more school districts to that list. “Appraisal districts, contrary to most people’s belief, we don’t like to raise values,” Bobbitt said. “It creates protests, it creates a lot of strife. ... The state has no problem doing it. So they’re going to come in after the fact and tell us that we’re wrong.” The greatest cause for concern, Bobbitt said, is Everman ISD. The southeast Tarrant County school district was already close to failing the state’s property value study in 2023 — a mere .08% from falling outside of the 95% confidence interval established by state officials. “We had basically $2 million to spare. We were that close to falling out of the confidence interval,” Bobbitt said. If Everman had failed that year, it still would’ve qualified for a grace period. But the sales data provided by Bobbitt shows the taxable value in the school district has continued to lag behind market value. When reached by email, a spokesperson for Everman ISD said they did not have any information at this time, and wouldn’t know anything until January. The president of the Everman ISD board of trustees, Gary Balch, was among the Tarrant area school officials who signed onto an August open letter describing the reappraisal plan as political theater that intentionally hurts children. Districts brace themselves for impact Azle ISD is in a relatively unique position compared to its peers across Tarrant County. The school district spans three counties — Parker, Tarrant and Wise. The majority of its property lands in northeastern Parker and northwestern Tarrant. The Parker Appraisal District has done biennial appraisals for as long as Adams can remember, so the idea of reducing appraisal frequency wasn’t unheard of for the school district. But because Parker was already appraising once every two years, the revenue generated from Tarrant’s annual reappraisals became even more important for Azle ISD. Adams estimated the district could lose anywhere from $1.4 million to $4 million in state funding, depending on how far off they are from state property values. “That makes us as an admin team, and as the board of trustees, go, ‘Look, OK, we know revenue is going to be this much less,’” he said. “‘What do we do? Do we freeze salaries? Do we cut personnel? Do we cut programs?’” Brownson said to some degree, the impact of a biennial appraisal plan will vary from district to district. “In a place where the tax base is more dynamic and more changing, then you’re going to have more errors in the off years than you would in a place where the tax base is more stable,” she said. Azle ISD Superintendent Todd Smith himself lives in Parker County, and he’s intimately familiar with how a biennial appraisal cycle affects both school district revenues and residents’ property taxes. “When it goes up, when they’re catching up every other year, you’ve got a bigger jump (in your tax bill),” Smith said. That hike could be significant for Tarrant taxpayers as well. Because residential values are frozen for 2025, and the next reappraisal isn’t scheduled until 2027, it will be three years before homeowners without a homestead exemption see a value increase. Some of the schools at risk of funding cuts are currently sending money to the state under what’s known as the Robin Hood law. The law mandates that property-rich districts pay excess local tax revenue to the state, which redistributes those funds to poorer districts. Fort Worth ISD is one of the districts on Bobbitt’s list that is undergoing recapture. Carmen Arrieta-Candelaria, the district’s chief financial officer, told the Report in July that the reappraisal plan could actually result in the district sending less money to the state. But that was before the most recent sales data — and the district now has significant concerns. “We will engage with the Tarrant Appraisal District (TAD) to understand the steps they plan to take to help the district return to compliance,” Fort Worth ISD wrote in a statement. “Additionally, any financial implications this may have on the district’s assessed valuation and corresponding state revenues will need to be thoroughly analyzed to determine the best course of action for the upcoming year and beyond.” The other school districts flagged by Bobbitt did not respond to requests for comment. Eyes on Tarrant amid board member election At the Nov. 8 meeting, Tarrant Appraisal District board member Gary Losada said fears that school districts will lose millions of dollars are not accurate. He pointed to a clause in the reappraisal plan, called the management review process, that gives the board the authority to amend the plan if any ISDs look likely to fail the property value study. “If I read this correctly, that means we have a safeguard in the reappraisal plan, that in the event a school district, ISD, wherever we’re in danger of failing and possibly losing funding, that this clause would kick in,” Losada said. While the appraisal district board has the authority to amend the reappraisal plan, it isn’t required to do so. An initial version of the reappraisal plan explicitly stated that school districts that failed the state property value study would have their properties reappraised the next year. That language was struck from the final reappraisal plan approved in August, prompting fears that when Bobbitt presents final data in March, the board won’t help school districts. Five seats on the board are currently up for election by taxing entities , making it even more difficult to tell how things will shake out in the spring. Whoever wins those seats will join the three board members elected by taxpayers in May . That election, enabled by a constitutional amendment, expanded the board to nine members and gave taxpayers a direct say on its membership for the first time in Texas history. Smith said he was frustrated that Losada, one of the board members Azle ISD previously voted for, wouldn’t listen to the district’s concerns about the reappraisal plan. “It was really frustrating to think that they made such a huge decision without any input from the entities that they were put there to represent,” he said. School districts who do fail the property value study can file appeals with the comptroller’s office, aided by the appraisal district. They must explain why the state’s values are incorrect, and there’s no guarantee an appeal will be successful. “Sometimes they’ll agree on a value that’s in-between what the appraisal district originally said and what the comptroller said,” Brownson said. “Sometimes the appraisal district will win outright, sometimes they won’t, but there are successes every year.” Bobbitt said over the years, the number of school districts reporting invalid values under the property value study has risen dramatically. In 2023, 106 school districts across Texas automatically failed the study, losing a collective $120 million as a result. That trend reflects the hot property market in Texas, which many appraisal districts have been unable to keep up with. “Most of these appraisal districts ... fell out because the market moves faster than they were expecting,” Bobbitt said. When the Tarrant Appraisal District’s board of directors passed the reappraisal plan in August, it did so with the understanding that the housing market would remain relatively flat over the next year. Whether that assumption will hold true remains to be seen. Eyes from across the state will be on Tarrant, which is one of the first appraisal districts to pass sweeping reappraisal changes following the passage of a 2023 law allowing voters to elect board members. “As much as we’ve been in the news, the comptroller is fully aware of our board and our reappraisal plan,” Bobbitt said. “And so I would suspect they look at us very closely.” Your support makes TWICE the impact today. As November draws to a close , time is running out to double your impact. Thanks to the generosity of the Nicholas Martin Jr. Family Foundation, every dollar you give will be matched—up to $15,000. Will you give today to help trusted, local reporting thrive in Fort Worth and Tarrant County? Related Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative for adhering to standards for ethical journalism . Republish This Story Republishing is free for noncommercial entities. Commercial entities are prohibited without a licensing agreement. Contact us for details. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License . Look for the "Republish This Story" button underneath each story. To republish online, simply click the button, copy the html code and paste into your Content Management System (CMS). Do not copy stories straight from the front-end of our web-site. You are required to follow the guidelines and use the republication tool when you share our content. The republication tool generates the appropriate html code. You can’t edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style. You can’t sell or syndicate our stories. 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You can’t sell or syndicate our stories. You can only publish select stories individually — not as a collection. Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization. If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using @FortWorthReport on Facebook and @FortWorthReport on Twitter. by Emily Wolf, Fort Worth Report November 26, 2024
Valu، MENA’s leading universal financial technology company، is thrilled to announce its continued sponsorship of rising star Weightlifting champion Mahmoud Hosny. For the past two years، Hosny has been part of our athlete support program. This partnership underscores Valu’s commitment to inspiring and empowering athletes as they strive for excellence in their respective sports. As Mahmoud competes in official championships in Egypt and worldwide، Valu offers him the support he needs to succeed. Mohamed Mounir، Deputy CEO of Valu ، shared his vision: “This partnership reflects our dedication to nurturing local talent and strengthening the sports community. We strive to ensure our sponsored athletes have the resources they need to thrive. Supporting athletes like Mahmoud Hosny not only helps them achieve their dreams but also uplifts our country and enriches our brand. We’re excited to follow Mahmoud’s journey and the positive influence he can have in the world of sports. At Valu، we truly believe that sports have the power to unite people، inspire change، and create a brighter future for everyone.” Mahmoud has already made significant strides in his athletic career، achieving remarkable milestones including: “These accomplishments reflect Mahmoud’s dedication and talent، and we are proud to support him on his journey to excellence،” Added Mounir . Valu is dedicated to nurturing young talent and believes in the potential of the next generation of athletes. Our sponsorship of Hana Goda highlights this commitment، as we were proud to be the first brand to support her journey. By investing in young athletes like Hana، we aim to help them reach their dreams while inspiring others to pursue their passions. We envision a future where these young talents excel in their sports، uplift their communities، and motivate the next wave of aspiring athletes.Pep Guardiola’s side avoided the indignity of a sixth successive defeat in all competitions and looked on course for a welcome victory thanks to a double from Erling Haaland – the first from the penalty spot – and a deflected effort from Ilkay Gundogan. Yet Guardiola was left with his head in hands as Feyenoord roared back in the last 15 minutes with goals from Anis Hadj Moussa, Sergio Gimenez and David Hancko, two of them after Josko Gvardiol errors. FULL-TIME | A point apiece. 🩵 3-3 ⚫️ #ManCity | #UCL pic.twitter.com/6oj1nEOIwm — Manchester City (@ManCity) November 26, 2024 Arsenal delivered the statement Champions League win Mikel Arteta had demanded as they swept aside Sporting Lisbon 5-1. Arteta wanted his team to prove their European credentials, and goals from Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Gabriel, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard got their continental campaign back on track in style following the 1-0 defeat at Inter Milan last time out. A memorable victory also ended Sporting’s unbeaten start to the season, a streak of 17 wins and one draw, the vast majority of which prompted Manchester United to prise away head coach Ruben Amorim. Putting on a show at Sporting 🌟 pic.twitter.com/Yi9MgRZEkl — Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 26, 2024 Paris St Germain were left in serious of danger of failing to progress in the Champions League as they fell to a 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. Kim Min-jae’s header late in the first half was enough to send PSG to a third defeat in the competition this season, leaving them six points off the automatic qualification places for the last 16 with three games to play. Luis Enrique’s side, who had Ousmane Dembele sent off, were deservedly beaten by Bayern who dominated chances and possession. 🔔 FULL TIME – Victory at home! +3 in the #UCL 👏❤️ #FCBayern #MiaSanMia | #FCBPSG #UCL pic.twitter.com/BYE23dXXih — FC Bayern (@FCBayernEN) November 26, 2024 Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid were 6-0 winners away to Sparta Prague, Julian Alvarez and Angel Correa each scoring twice whilst there were also goals from Marcos Llorente and Antoine Griezmann. Barcelona ended tournament debutants Brest’s unbeaten start with a 3-0 victory courtesy of two goals from Robert Lewandowski – one a penalty – and Dani Olmo. Lewandowski’s first was his 100th Champions League goal, only the third man to reach the mark after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. A Castello Lukeba own goal saw Inter Milan go top of the standings with a narrow 1-0 win over RB Leipzig at San Siro, whilst Bayer Leverkusen were emphatic victors against Red Bull Salzburg, Florian Wirtz scoring twice to move Xabi Alonso’s side into the automatic qualification places. Atalanta continued their strong start, albeit whilst conceding a first goal in Europe this season in a 6-1 win away to Young Boys, whilst Tammy Abraham scored the decisive goal as AC Milan beat Slovan Bratislava 3-2.Biden hails Lebanon ceasefire deal as 'good news'
Last week, a video of a racist rant against an Indian American family at Los Angeles airport went viral. Since the visibility of Indians has only risen in recent years — with a string of high-profile CEOs and political figures in the US, and even a former PM in the UK — many online interactions on global forums like X have also taken the form of insults, mockery, and expressions of hatred. The dearth of Olympic medals occasioned insults about Indian physical inferiority. Indian democracy is smeared as an oppressive, near-theocratic tyranny. Once associated with swamis and spirituality, the country, in the online arena, has a reputation for littered streets and public defecation. AI-generated caricatures proliferate. Tellingly, western companies have programmed no ‘guardrails’ to limit AI’s use against Indians. (Ironically, diasporic Indians sustain, and sometimes run, the tech companies that developed these image generators in the first place.) Maybe this contempt was always there, and it’s only surfacing now, as more and more people have seized the freedom to offend others. Insulting Indians is not just cost-free but lucrative. Outrage increases engagement, and engagement increases monetisation. Stinging the pride of thousands of online Indians translates into cash payouts for the one posting. The world’s contempt for Indians really shouldn’t come as a surprise to Indians themselves. If hating Indians were an Olympic sport, the gold medal would never leave home. Almost all Indian ideologies, political or religious, draw strength from contempt for other Indians. They offer small groups of Indians a way to proclaim themselves different and, hence, better than all the other Indians. This is now uncoupled from traditional senses of ‘high’ and ‘low’ caste, since even ‘low’ ancestral status can serve the purpose of conferring moral supremacy over oppressive savarnas. The ideology often called ‘Hindutva’ seeks to dissolve these caste distinctions and replace them with a pan-Hindu identity (with the aim, of course, of creating a pan-Hindu voter bloc). By asserting that identity’s rootedness in India, this perspective’s adherents imply, and sometimes insist openly, that Hinduism and its kindred religions are more authentically Indian than non-Dharmic faiths, which themselves condemn millions of Indians for idol-worship and polytheism. The encounter with global anti-Indian racism offers a corrective for all these fantasies of distinction. In the narrowed blue eyes of a foreign racist, a Brahmin and a Dalit receive equal measures of abuse. Which Indian wears a skull cap, a tilak, or a turban is quite irrelevant in the online arena; brown skin is a sufficient identifier. None of the haters can tell a Reddy from a Rajput or a Jatt from a Jain. Thousands of online racists want all Indians to speak English, or better yet, go back to their own country. Is Indian success in business and the professions really just the result of upper-caste privilege? Some of America’s progressive Leftists certainly think so. In recent years, they have published articles and proposed legislation targeting diasporic Indians on the basis of caste. White nationalists think Indian success is illegitimate, too, since they assume that all diasporic Indians favour one another in a vast, scheming network; their notion of Indians approaches, ever more closely, their notion of Jews. This reaction was perhaps inevitable as the Indian diaspora became more visible in other countries. Whether surging or simply surfacing, anti-Indian animus might be a good thing for India itself. A little disillusionment might be healthy from a civilizational perspective. India’s America-facing middle and upper classes might temper their fawning adoration of America’s cultural exports and social mores. Above all, divisive rhetoric — exacerbating regional, religious, and caste-based divisions in pursuit of power — may come to seem counterproductive. It already is, of course, but a habit of arguing internally has left Indians with a weakened sense of external threat awareness. The country’s geographic encirclement has been completed with the political transformation of Bangladesh, but even this new reality cannot get Indians to drop their quarrels for a moment. They seem as incorrigibly argumentative as ancient Greek city-states — or, alas, the many little kingdoms of India’s own history, so easy for outsiders to pick off. Responding to contempt with contempt is a vain tit-for-tat. Yet Indians should not tune out the insults, either. In the best-case scenario, external criticism about filth and disorder can foster more than just a collective identity. It can foster collective self-examination and reform. That is how to distil real nectar from virtual vitriol. A neo-Gandhian vision of pan-Indian unity and uplift would result. The trigger for this updated, organic nationalism would not be one Indian giving inspiring speeches, as it was a hundred years ago, but thousands of foreigners hurling abuse. After all, nothing unites people like a common enemy. In the early 20th century, that was the British Empire. In the early 21st, it is the world.On Football analyzes the biggest topics in the NFL from week to week. For more On Football analysis, head here . ___ Saquon Barkley has become the Shohei Ohtani of the NFL. There’s no better home run hitter playing football right now. Barkley had touchdown runs of 72 and 70 yards for the Philadelphia Eagles in a 37-20 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night. He now has five runs of 50-plus yards this season and is on pace to break Eric Dickerson’s single-season record of 2,105 yards set in 1984. Barkley’s historic performance against the Rams — his 255 yards set a team record — captivated a national audience and turned him into a fan favorite for the AP NFL MVP award. He’s not the betting favorite, however. Josh Allen has the best odds at plus-150, according to Bet MGM Sportsbook. Two-time MVP Lamar Jackson is next at plus-250 followed by Barkley at plus-400. Running backs have won the award 18 times, including three-time winner Jim Brown, who was the AP’s first NFL MVP in 1957. Quarterbacks have dominated the award, winning it 45 times. Only three players who weren’t QBs or RBs have been MVP. It takes a special season for a non-QB to win it mainly because the offense goes through the signal caller. Quarterbacks handle the ball every offensive snap, run the show and get the credit when things go well and the blame when it doesn’t. Adrian Peterson was the most recent non-QB to win it when he ran for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Minnesota Vikings in 2012. Playing for a winning team matters, too. Nine of the past 11 winners played for a No. 1 seed with the other two winners on a No. 2 seed. The Vikings earned the sixth seed when Pederson was MVP. Barkley is a major reason why the Eagles (9-2) are leading the NFC East and only trail Detroit (10-1) by one game for the top spot in the conference. Does he have a realistic chance to win the MVP award? Kicker Mark Moseley was the MVP in the strike-shortened 1982 season when he made 20 of 21 field goals and 16 of 19 extra points in nine games for Washington. If voters once selected a kicker, everyone has a chance, especially a game-changer such as Barkley. Defensive tackle Alan Page was the MVP in 1971 and linebacker Lawrence Taylor won it in 1986. Running back Christian McCaffrey finished third in voting last year and wide receiver Justin Jefferson placed fifth in 2022. The Offensive Player of the Year award and Defensive Player of the Year award recognize the best all-around players on both sides of the ball, allowing voters to recognize non-QBs if they choose. Wide receivers and running backs have won the AP OPOY award seven times over the past 11 seasons. McCaffrey was the 2023 winner. The AP’s new voting format introduced in 2022 also gives non-QBs a better opportunity to get MVP recognition. Voter submit their top five picks for each award, with a weighted point system. Previously, voters made one choice for each award. A nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league vote for MVP and seven other awards. The awards are based on regular-season performance. The Chiefs (10-1) and Bills (9-2) already are in position to lock up postseason berths right after Thanksgiving. Kansas City clinches a playoff berth with a win over Las Vegas on Black Friday and a loss by Miami on Thursday night, or a win plus a loss by Denver on Monday night. Buffalo can wrap up a fifth straight AFC East title with a victory over San Francisco on Sunday and a loss by the Dolphins. It’s not a given that the Dallas Cowboys will be looking for a new head coach after this season. Owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday on local radio that Mike McCarthy could end up getting a contract extension. “I don’t think that’s crazy at all. This is a Super Bowl-winning coach. Mike McCarthy has been there and done that. He has great ideas. We got a lot of football left,” Jones said. McCarthy led the Cowboys (4-7) to three straight 12-win seasons, but they went 1-3 in the playoffs and haven’t reached the NFC championship game since winning the Super Bowl 29 years ago. Injuries have contributed to the team’s struggles this season, but Dallas was just 3-5 before Dak Prescott was lost for the rest of the season. The Cowboys upset Washington last week and their next four games are against teams that currently have losing records. If they somehow end up 9-8 or even 8-9, Jones could make a case for keeping McCarthy. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. (AP) — Maverick McNealy has learned in his five years on the PGA Tour that trying to win a tournament is “designed to make you feel as uncomfortable as you possibly can.” Standing in the 18th fairway Sunday in the RSM Classic, part of a four-way tie for the lead that included Florida State sophomore Luke Clanton, the 29-year-old McNealy had every reason to be uncomfortable. He had gone nine hole without a birdie. From 185 yards away he chose a 6-iron, a club that had gone anywhere from 120 yards to 240 yards during a week of big wind and cold weather, and at that moment as warm as it had been all tournament. The shot made it look like he had been there before, covering the flag and landing 5 feet away for a birdie and his first PGA Tour victory in his 134th start as a pro. It sends him to Maui to start next year and to the Masters in April for the first time. “A moment I'll never forget,” he said. Daniel Berger missed a 20-foot birdie attempt on the 18th that preceded McNealy's winner. He tied for second with Nico Echavarria and Clanton, both of whom missed par putts from inside 8 feet on the final hole that created the four-way tie. Berger got a small consolation prize, moving inside the top 125 to keep a full PGA Tour card for 2025 when the fields will be smaller and only the top 100 keep cards. Henrik Norlander, who was No. 126 in the FedEx Cup last year, had a 63-68 weekend and joined Berger as the two players who moved into the top 125. For Joel Dahmen, it was a matter of staying there. He was at No. 124 coming into the final tournament, had to make a 5-foot par putt just to make the cut on the number and then delivered a tee-to-green clinic — along with holing a 113-yard sand wedge for eagle early in his round — for a closing 64. It was enough to stay at No. 124 with nine points to spare. “Two of the biggest pressure moments of my career I showed up, and I can take that going forward,” Dahmen said. Story continues below video Clanton was a shot away from joining Nick Dunlap as amateur winners on the PGA Tour this year. Clanton, who has taken over as the top-ranked amateur in the world, now has two runner-up finishes and four top 10s in the seven PGA Tour starts the last five months. He had the look of a winner, especially with McNealy stuck in neutral, when he poured in birdie putts on the 14th and 16th holes to tie for the lead. But he tugged his approach to the 18th into bunker, blasted out to 7 feet and missed his par putt. He shot 66. “It’s going to be a tough one to definitely take, for sure, after bogeying the last,” Clanton said. “But I think it’s proven to me that out here I can win, so I’ll be training for that.” Echavarria, who won in Japan a month ago, had not made a bogey all day until going long on the 18th, chipping to 9 feet and catching the lip with his par putt. Michael Thorbjornsen was poised to move into the top 125 until he pulled his approach into the water on the par-5 15th hole and made bogey, closing with three pars for a 69. He tied for eighth and finished at No. 129. Thorbjornsen still has a full card next year from being No. 1 in PGA Tour University, but his status won't be as high. McNealy, son of Sun Microsystems co-founder Scott McNealy, had been doing some of his best work outside the ropes, particularly effecting a change in FedEx Cup points distribution to make it more equitable. Missing was a victory, and this one came down to the wire. He went out in 33 and led by two going to the back nine, and then it became a grind. He holed a 15-foot par putt from the fringe on the 11th to stay in the lead, and saved par after going bunker-to-bunker on the 13th. But he dropped a shot with an errant drive on the 14th, and when Echavarria birdied the 15th ahead of him, McNealy was out of the lead for the first time all day. He answered at just the right time, a 6-iron that covered the flag and settled just over 5 feet away. The victory gets him into three $20 million events over the first two months of the year starting with The Sentry at Kapalua, along with his first trip to Augusta National. AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golfBeadle's 3-pointer gives Boston College 63-61 win over Boise State and Cayman Islands Classic title