MEXICO CITY (AP) — Over 18,000 people in Mexico have registered online to run for Supreme Court seats and federal judgeships in the country’s contentious new selection process , officials said Monday. But a random drawing in the end will determine who gets on the ballot. The ruling party pushed through a constitutional reform in September to make all federal judges stand for election, replacing the system where court employees and lawyers mainly move up through the ranks. Current court employees and their supporters have staged dozens of demonstrations against the reforms, calling them part of a ruling-party campaign to weaken checks and balances and eliminate independent regulatory and oversight bodies. Now, candidates for Supreme Court seats and federal judgeships need only a law degree, a grade point average of 3.2, “five years of professional experience” and five letters of recommendation from neighbors or friends. That, and some luck in the final drawing. Officials rejected criticism that has called the process rushed or amateurish for the often highly technical posts that can hear cases including intellectual property, organized crime and Constitutional law. RELATED COVERAGE Carrefour’s cold shoulder for South American beef sparks a backlash from Brazil A rural doctor traverses mountainous terrain by donkey to visit far-flung patients The number of children recruited by gangs in Haiti soars by 70%, UNICEF says “The results have been spectacular,” said Arturo Zaldivar, a top adviser to President Claudia Sheinbaum. Over 50 countries go to the polls in 2024 The year will test even the most robust democracies. Read more on what’s to come here . Take a look at the 25 places where a change in leadership could resonate around the world. Keep track of the latest AP elections coverage from around the world here. According to the plan, evaluation committees will have just over a month to review thousands of resumes and whittle the field to about 10 candidates or less for each for the 881 judgeships and nine seats on the Supreme Court. Then 1,793 names chosen at random from those selected will appear on the ballot on June 1. Critics warn that many who land on the ballot will be unknowns who perhaps have never argued a case in the courts they seek to run. “You don’t elect a doctor or a surgeon for an operation based on their popularity, you elect them based on their technical expertise, their ability, their knowledge,” said Sergio Méndez Silva, the legal coordinator for the civic group Foundation for Justice. “That also applies for a judge.” With candidates now having to run election campaigns, critics warn there’s a chance that drug cartels or political parties could finance them to get friendly judges onto the bench. There are also concerns that the evaluation committees deciding who makes the cut for the selection to appear on ballots may not be impartial. Most committee members were appointed by the legislative or executive branches, controlled by the ruling Morena party. Some critics argue that the current justice system, which is riddled with nepotism, corruption and a lack of accountability, needs to be changed. “We need a justice system that gives results,” said Minerva Martínez Garza, an academic and former head of the human rights commission in the northern border state of Nuevo Leon who has registered to run for a Supreme Court seat. Trials in Mexico can last for years, and the ruling party has added to the growing list of crimes for which bail is not allowed, meaning that a large percentage of the prison population is people awaiting trial. ____ Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
U.S.-England talking points: New faces fail to impress, Earps returns to form
Bitcoin’s wild ride toward $100,000
AP Trending SummaryBrief at 4:32 p.m. ESTPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Saquon Barkley knew the Eagles season rushing record could be his on Sunday with the type of stellar performance that has become the standard during his first season in Philadelphia. As for the exact moment Barkley hit the milestone, he wasn't sure — until the “MVP!” chants echoed throughout the Linc after a 9-yard run in the fourth quarter . “The records are great, they put a smile on your face,” Barkley said, “but the season is far from over.” Needing 109 yards to break LeSean McCoy's record, Barkley rushed for 124 yards and pushed his season total to 1,623 in a 22-16 victory over Carolina . Barkley needed just 13 games to pass McCoy, who rushed for 1,607 yards in 2013. He also overtook Wilbert Montgomery, who had 1,512 yards in 1978. “I never wrote the goal down to break it,” Barkley said. “You're always aware of it. That's how I train. That's how I operate in the offseason. I want to be great.” Barkley also maintained his pace to break Eric Dickerson’s NFL single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards, set in 1984 with the Los Angeles Rams. “That would be extremely cool to do,” Barkley said. “If it happens, it happens, and not with the mindset of, I'm scared to go try to do it. Whatever it takes to win football games.” Barkley is averaging 124.8 yards per game. At that pace and with one more game to play than Dickerson, he would become the top single-season rusher in NFL history. He needs 483 yards yards over the final four games to top Dickerson’s 40-year-old record. He averaged 6.2 yards on 20 carries against the Panthers to help the Eagles win their ninth straight game. McCoy, who was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame this season, remains the franchise’s rushing leader with 6,792 yards. Referencing his old uniform number, McCoy congratulated Barkley on social media with “a lot of love, coming from 2-5." “Being a fan of Shady's growing up, and seeing the spectacular things he was able to do with the ball in his hand, to be able to have my name mentioned with him definitely means a lot,” Barkley said. Barkley left the New York Giants in the offseason and signed a three-year deal worth $26 million guaranteed to join the Eagles, who made him the highest-paid running back in franchise history. The 27-year-old has been worth every dollar. Barkley is among the favorites for league MVP, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was the only player with better MVP odds entering Sunday. Barkley has a franchise-record nine 100-yard rushing games in a season. Although he was held out of the end zone Sunday, he began the day leading the league with four rushing touchdowns of 25-plus yards. Barkley, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft, topped 1,000 yards three times in his six seasons with the Giants. He finished with 1,312 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in 2022 and rushed for 1,307 yards and 11 scores as a rookie. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, who had been unwilling to spend on elite running backs, pounced on Barkley and the decision was celebrated as a success in Philly from the first game of the season. Barkley rushed for two scores and caught a TD pass in the opener against Green Bay. His three touchdowns were the most by an Eagles player in his debut since Terrell Owens in 2004. Barkley only soared in production and popularity from there, his highlight reel stamped by a reverse leap over the head of a Jacksonville defender last month. He's since vaulted over every running back ahead of him on the Eagles rushing list — and has a chance at NFL history. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL Dan Gelston, The Associated Press
Warning as snakes seek cool shelter from summerFormer President Jimmy Carter works at a Habitat for Humanity building site Monday, Nov. 2, 2015, in Memphis, Tenn. Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, have volunteered a week of their time annually to Habitat for Humanity since 1984, events dubbed "Carter work projects" that draw thousands of volunteers and take months of planning. Editor's note: Interviews for this story were conducted in February 2023, shortly after former President Jimmy Carter entered hospice care. This story will be updated. While the nation mourned former president Jimmy Carter after his death on Sunday, many had spent time reflecting on his legacy over the months since he entered hospice care in February 2023. In Central Illinois and beyond, the 100-year-old former peanut farmer was remembered as much for his personal likability and humanitarian work as for his tumultuous single term as the 39th president. Here's how some say he will be remembered. Work with Habitat for Humanity Carter first became involved in Habitat for Humanity in 1984, when he and wife Rosalynn worked with their local Habitat organization in Americus, Georgia, according to information from the national Habitat organization. The couple traveled across the globe working on habitat projects, working alongside more than 100,000 volunteers on 4,390 homes in 14 countries. Former President Jimmy Carter talks to the media as they pause from building a Habitat for Humanity house in Violet, La., Monday, May 21, 2007. They were working on the 1,000th Habitat for Humanity house in the Gulf Coast region since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. “We may be able to count the number of Carter work projects and the number of families served by those builds, but we cannot truly quantify the immense impact the Carters have had on Habitat homeowners, staff, volunteers and donors. We will continue to honor President Carter’s legacy through our service to our community,” said Tyler Wiggs, Habitat McLean County’s office manager, in a press release. Carter's legacy will live on, in part through the work done by Habitat organizations across the country, said Jolene Aldus, now executive director for Habitat for Humanity of McLean County. "There's no doubt that President Carter was well liked and loved by many Americans," said Aldus, who was the organization's director of development at the time of the interview in 2023. Carter's influence also helps local Habitat organizations gain a foothold in smaller communities, she said. Popularity increased post-presidency Former President Jimmy Carter appears on ABC-TV's "Good Morning America", Oct. 5, 1983. Carter is often known as a more popular former president than he was a president, two Illinois State University political science professors said. "He more or less invented the modern sense of the post-presidency," said Professor Lane Crothers . That includes Carter's work in the 1990s with the Carter Center in monitoring elections during a period of new democracies emerging during decolonization. Since the 1990s, a lot of the public focus on Carter has shifted to his personal journey as the longest-lived former president, Crothers said. Carter's presidency was difficult for situations outside of his control, Crothers said. Carter inherited a period of high inflation and unemployment and his presidency saw foreign events like the Iranian Revolution and energy crisis. The Democratic Party was also splitting, with Carter being the last Democrat to sweep the Southern states. Former President Jimmy Carter speaks during the reopening ceremony for the newly resigned Carter Presidential Library Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009 in Atlanta. Carter was also celebrating his 85th birthday. Any president, even a perfect one, would have found that those situations challenging, Crothers said. Yet Carter was also seen as indecisive and uncomfortable with the "wheeling and dealing" of politics. Still, Carter left behind some strong legacies from his presidency, said Associate Professor Kerri Milita . She pointed to examples like the beginning of the handover of the Panama Canal and the Camp David Accords. These help return the U.S. to a role as a international diplomatic broker. "He really impacted the international role of the U.S. going forward," Milita said. President Jimmy Carter waves as staff hold up sign proclaiming "We Love you Mr. President" in Washington, Nov. 5, 1980, as the president walks to helicopter for a trip to Camp David, Md. Carter was also the first president to be elected using public funding under the model created in 1974. His campaign reflected who he was as a person, Milita said, something that carried through his presidency. "Carter was one and the same, the president was the man," she said. His campaign as a whole was unlike a lot of others in that Carter did not shy away from making his positions known, Milita said. Ambiguity can be an asset ahead of elections because it makes the candidate's positions harder to attack. "Carter went against the grain on that, and a lot his rhetoric was very clear," she said. While he lost his reelection bid in a landslide to Illinois-born, Eureka College graduate Ronald Reagan, Carter's post presidency has put him in the good graces of many in the state and beyond. "I'm not aware of anyone that has anything bad to say about it," Milita said. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter delivers a lecture on the eradication of the Guinea worm, at the House of Lords in London, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016. Jimmy Carter is shown at age 6, with his sister, Gloria, 4, in 1931 in Plains, Georgia. (AP Photo) This is a 1932 photo of Jimmy Carter at age 7 in Plains, Ga. (AP Photo) Lt. Jimmy Carter peers at instruments on submarine USS K-1 in a 1952 photo. Directly in front of Carter, smoking a cigar, is Don Dickson. He had forgotten he ever served with Carter until he came upon the photo during Christmas, 1977. A friend got it to the White House where Carter wrote: "To my friend Donald Dickson - Jimmy Carter, USS K-1 to White House." (AP Photo) FILE - In this Sept. 15, 1966 file photo, then Georgia State Sen. Jimmy Carter hugs his wife, Rosalynn, at his Atlanta campaign headquarters. Jimmy Carter, winner in Georgia's runoff primary in the Democratic Party to determine the party's candidate for the November election for governor, 1970. (AP Photo) Former State Sen. Jimmy Carter listens to applause at the Capitol in Atlanta on April 3, 1970, after announcing his candidacy or governor. In background, his wife Rosalyn holds two-year-old daughter Amy who joined in the applause. Carter, 45, of Plains, Ga., finished third in the 1966 Democratic Primary behind Gov. Lester Maddox and Ellis Arnall. (AP Photo/Charles Kelly) Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn clutch the microphones as he claims victory in a runoff election at campaign headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, September 24, 1970. Carter beat former Georgia Governor Carl Sanders for the nomination and will face Republican candidate Hal Suit, veteran television newsman, in the general election Nov. 3, 1970. (AP Photo/Charles Kelly) Former state Sen. Jimmy Carter breaks into a broad smile after early returns gave him a lead of almost 2-1 in the Democratic runoff against former Gov. Carl Sanders, Sept. 23, 1970, in Atlanta, Ga. The winner will meet the Republic Hal Suit for the governorship of Georgia on the Nov. 3 general election. (AP Photo/Charles Kelly) Governor-elect Jimmy Carter and his daughter Amy, 3, walk about the grounds by the fountain at the Governor's Mansion in Atlanta, Ga., Jan. 10, 1971, as they get to know the place where they will live for the next four years. Carter will be sworn in as governor of Georgia Tuesday. (AP Photo) Judge Robert H. Jordan administers the oath of office to Gov. Jimmy Carter during ceremonies at the state capitol in Atlanta. Ga., Jan. 12, 1971. Next to the judge is former Gov. Lester Maddox, who will take over as lieutenant governer of Georgia. (AP Photo) Jimmy Carter of Georgia, seen here Feb. 6, 1971, already described as a symbol of a new breed of moderate southern politician, says that the race question has ceased to be a major issue "between or among candidates" running for office in the old confederacy. (AP Photo) Jimmy Carter, Governor of Georgia, is shown at his desk in Atlanta, on February 19, 1971. (AP Photo) Georgia's Gov. Jimmy Carter reaches for pen February 25, 1972 to sign a Georgia Senate House resolution opposing forced busing to achieve integration in the classrooms of the United States. Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter joins a half-dozen Rockettes in a high kick, September 21, 1973, at Radio City Music Hall in New York, while visiting backstage before an afternoon performance. Carter is in New York to induce the film industry to make pictures in his state. (AP Photo/stf) Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter, right, and Delaware Gov. Sherman Tribbitt say hello to Atlanta Braves Hank Aaron, left, following a rain canceled game with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Thursday, Sept. 27, 1973, Atlanta, Ga. The cancellation slowed Aaron’s opportunity to tie or break Babe Ruth’s home run record. (AP Photo) Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter spoke to 18,000 messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention on Thursday, June 13, 1974 in Dallas, Texas. He urged Baptists to use their personal and political influence to return the nation to ideals of stronger commitment and higher ethics. He said "there is no natural division between a man's Christian life and his political life." (AP Photo/Greg Smith) Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter tells a gathering, Saturday, Oct. 5, 1974 at the National Press Club in Washington about his ideas concerning energy conservation. (AP Photo) In this Thursday, Aug. 14, 1975 file photo, former Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter announces in Washington that he qualified for federal matching funds to help finance his campaign for the 1976 Democratic presidential nomination. Former Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter, right, drew about 5,000 people to Youngstown's Federal Plaza in Youngstown, Ohio, in his quest for support in Tuesday's Ohio Democratic primary, June 7, 1976. The presidential hopeful waded into the crowd, shaking hands and signing autographs. Carter, speaking to the largest crowd to assemble during his Ohio campaign, said 1976 would be a Democratic year because of the Watergate aftermath and other national ills. (AP Photo) In this Monday, Aug. 23, 1976 file photo, Democratic presidential candidate Jimmy Carter gives an informal press conference in Los Angeles during a campaign tour through the West and Midwest. On Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2015. (AP Photo) Democratic Presidential nominee Jimmy Carter, left, eats some freshly roasted barbecue chicken with his brother Billy Carter at Billy's gas station, Sept 11, 1976, Plains, Ga. The nominee had returned the night before from a week of campaigning, and planned to hold an impromptu press conference at the gas station. (AP Photo/Jeff Taylor) Democratic presidential nominee, Jimmy Carter, is all smiles as he talks with his brother Billy at the Carter Family Peanut warehouse, September 18, 1976. (AP Photo) Jimmy Carter stands in a large mound of peanuts at the Carter Peanut Warehouse in Plains, Ga., September 22, 1976. The Democratic party presidential nominee took an early morning walk through the warehouse to inspect some of the harvest. (AP Photo) FILE - In this Oct. 6, 1976 file photo with his wife Rosalynn Carter looking on at center, Democratic presidential candidate Jimmy Carter, center left, shakes hands with President Gerald Ford at the conclusion of their debate at the Palace of Fine Arts Theater in San Francisco, Calif. (AP Photo, File) Jimmy Carter, Democratic candidate for president, is joined by his daughter, Amy, as he waves from the rostrum at Fort Worth Convention Center, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 1, 1976. Carter and his family have been campaigning Texas, making a last minute bid for the state's 26 electoral votes. The others are not identified. (AP Photo) U.S. President-elect Jimmy Carter waves to supporters as he is surrounded by family members at a hotel in Atlanta, Ga., on Nov. 3, 1976. Carter won the presidential election by 297 electoral votes to 241 for Ford. Standing next to him is his wife, Rosalynn, and their daughter Amy Lynn, far right. The others are unidentified. (AP Photo) President-elect Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn wipe tears from their eyes after returning to their home town in Plains, Ga., Nov. 3, 1976. The Carter family was greeted by local residents after returning from Atlanta. (AP Photo) President-elect Jimmy Carter leans over to shake hands with some of the people riding the "Peanut Special" to Washington D.C., Jan. 19, 1977. They will travel all night, arriving in Washington in time for Carter's inauguration as President tomorrow. (AP Photo) Jimmy Carter takes the oath of office as the nation's 39th president during inauguration ceremonies in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 1977. Carter's wife, Rosalynn, holds the Bible used in the first inauguration by George Washington as U.S. Chief Justice Warren Burger administers the oath. Looking on at left are, Happy Rockefeller, Betty Ford, Joan Mondale, Amy Carter, and outgoing President Gerald Ford. Behind Carter is Vice President Walter Mondale. At far right is former Vice President Nelson Rockefeller. (AP Photo) Rosalynn Carter, left, looks up at her husband Jimmy Carter as he takes the oath of office as the 39th President of the United States at the Capitol, Thursday, Jan. 20, 1977, Washington, D.C. Mrs. Carter held a family Bible for her husband. (AP Photo) Jimmy Carter and first lady Rosalynn Carter walk down Pennsylvania Avenue after Carter was sworn in as the nations 39th President, Jan. 20, 1977, Washington, D.C. (AP Photo) FILE - In this Thursday, Jan. 20, 1977 file photo, President Jimmy Carter waves to the crowd while walking with his wife, Rosalynn, and their daughter, Amy, along Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House following his inauguration in Washington. (AP Photo/Suzanne Vlamis) In this Jan. 24, 1977 file photo, President Jimmy Carter is interviewed in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. In this file photo dated May 1977, U.S. President Jimmy Carter, right, and Britain's Queen Elizabeth II with French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing, at Buckingham Palace in London. In this Feb. 20, 1978, file photo, President Jimmy Carter listens to Sen. Joseph R. Biden, D-Del., as they wait to speak at fund raising reception at Padua Academy in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Barry Thumma, File) President Jimmy Carter tucks his thumbs into his jeans and laughs as he prepares to head down the Salmon River in Idaho August 1978 for a three day rubber raft float. (AP Photo) United States President Jimmy Carter, on a visit to West Germany in 1978, rides with Chancellor Helmut Schmidt during a review of United States Forces at a base near Frankfurt. (AP Photo) Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, left, U.S. President Jimmy Carter, center, and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin clasp hands on the north lawn of the White House after signing the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel on March 26, 1979. (AP Photo/ Bob Daugherty) President Jimmy Carter, left, and Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev, right, sign the documents of the SALT II Treaty in the Vienna Imperial Hofburg Palace, Monday, June 18, 1979, Vienna, Austria. President Jimmy Carter leans across the roof of his car to shake hands along the parade route through Bardstown, Ky., Tuesday afternoon, July 31, 1979. The president climbed on top of the car as the parade moved toward the high school gym, where a town meeting was held. (AP Photo/Bob Daugherty) In this April 25, 1980 file photo, President Jimmy Carter prepares to make a national television address from the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, on the failed mission to rescue the Iran hostages. President Jimmy Carter applauds as Sen. Edward Kennedy waves to cheering crowds of the Democratic National Convention in New York's Madison Square Garden, Aug. 14, 1980. (AP Photo/Bob Daugherty) President Jimmy Carter raises a clenched fist during his address to the Democratic Convention, August 15, 1980, in New York's Madison Square Garden where he accepted his party's nomination to face Republican Ronald Reagan in the general election. (AP Photo/stf) Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy greets President Jimmy Carter after he landed at Boston's Logan Airport, Aug. 21, 1980. President Carter is in Boston to address the American Legion Convention being held in Boston. (AP Photo) President Jimmy Carter, left, and Gov. Bill Clinton of Arkansas enjoy a chuckle during a rally for Carter in Texarkana, Texas, Oct. 22, 1980. Texarkana was the last stop for Carter on a three-city one-day campaign swing through Texas. (AP Photo/John Duricka) In this Oct. 28, 1980 file photo, President Jimmy Carter shakes hands with Republican Presidential candidate Ronald Reagan after debating in the Cleveland Music Hall in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Madeline Drexler, File) Former US President Jimmy Carter, who had negotiated for the hostages release right up to the last hours of his Presidency, lifts his arm to the crowd, while putting his other hand around the shoulders of a former hostage in Iran, believed to be Bruce Laingen, at US AIR Force Hospital in Wiesbaden, Germany, Wednesday, January 21, 1981. Former Pres. Jimmy Carter, center, is joined by his wife Rosalynn and his brother Billy Carter during session of the Democratic National Convention, Tuesday, July 19, 1988, Atlanta, Ga. Billy had been recently diagnosed with cancer. (AP Photo/Bob Daugherty) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter speaks to newsmen as PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat, right, looks on after the two men met in Paris Wednesday, April 4, 1990. Carter said he felt some leaders did not represent the region's yearning for peace. (AP Photo/Pierre Gieizes) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, center, introduces his wife Rosalynn, right, to Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Jiang Zemin, April 14, 1991 in Beijing. (AP Photo/Mark Avery) Former President Jimmy Carter gestures at a United Nations news conference in New York, April 23, 1993 about the world conference on Human Rights to be held by the United Nations in Vienna June 14-25. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) Former Presidents George Bush, left, and Jimmy Carter, right, stand with President Clinton and wave to volunteers during a kick-off rally for the President's Volunteer Summit at Marcus Foster Stadium in Philladelphia, PA., Sunday morning April 27, 1997. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia) President Bill Clinton presents former President Jimmy Carter, right, with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, during a ceremony at the Carter Center in Atlanta Monday, Aug. 9, 1999. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter adjusts his glasses during a press conference in Managua, Nicaragua, Thursday, July 6, 2006. The former president and 2002 Nobel Peace Prize winner is heading a delegation from the democracy-promoting Carter Center, based at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, to observe preparations for Nicaragua's Nov. 5 presidential election. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix) In this Friday, Dec. 8, 2006 file photo, former President Jimmy Carter signs copies of his book "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid" at the Carter Center in Atlanta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ric Feld) Former President George H.W. Bush, left, watches as Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton chat during a dedication ceremony for the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, May 31, 2007. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) Former President Jimmy Carter poses for a portrait during the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto, Monday, Sept. 10, 2007. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Former President Jimmy Carter poses on the red carpet for the documentary film, "Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains" during the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto, Monday, Sept. 10, 2007. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Former President Jimmy Carter, right, and his wife Rosalynn wave to the audience at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Monday, Aug. 25, 2008. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Former President Jimmy Carter, right, and former first lady Rosalynn Carter are seen on stage at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Monday, Aug. 25, 2008. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) Former President Jimmy Carter waves to the crowd as he goes on stage at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Monday, Aug. 25, 2008.(AP Photo/Paul Sancya) Former President Jimmy Carter, right, is seen with Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2008. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) President-elect Barack Obama is welcomed by President George W. Bush for a meeting at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009, with former presidents, from left, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) In this photo taken Saturday, May 29, 2010, former South Africa president Nelson Mandela, right, reacts with former US president Jimmy Carter, during a reunion with The Elders, three years after he launched the group, in Johannesburg, South Africa. (AP Photo/Jeff Moore, Pool) Former US President Jimmy Carter, center, one of the delegates of the Elders group of retired prominent world figures, holds a Palestinian child during a visit to the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010. (AP Photo/Menahem Kahana, Pool) Former President Jimmy Carter, 86, leads Habitat for Humanity volunteers to help build and repair houses in Washington's Ivy City neighborhood, Monday, Oct. 4, 2010. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) FILE - In this Friday, Oct. 22, 2010 file photo, former president of Ireland, Mary Robinson, background right, looks at former U.S. president, Jimmy Carter, center, while visiting a weekly protest in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. The protest was organized by groups supporting Palestinians evicted from their homes in east Jerusalem by Israeli authorities. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, his wife, Rosalynn, and former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan conclude a visit to a polling center the southern capital of Juba Sunday, Jan. 9, 2011. (AP Photo/Pete Muller) Former President Jimmy Carter signs his name in the guest book at the Jewish Community center in Havana, Cuba, Monday March 28, 2011. Carter arrived in Cuba to discuss economic policies and ways to improve Washington-Havana relations, which are even more tense than usual over the imprisonment of Alan Gross, a U.S. contractor, on the island. C (AP Photo/Adalberto Roque, Pool) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter pauses during an interview as he and his wife Rosalynn visit a Habitat for Humanity project in Leogane, Haiti, Monday Nov. 7, 2011. The Carters joined volunteers from around the world to build 100 homes in partnership with earthquake-affected families in Haiti during a week-long Habitat for Humanity housing project. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, sits prior to a meeting with Israel's President Shimon Peres at the President's residence in Jerusalem, Sunday, Oct. 21, 2012. Peres met two of 'The Elders', a group composed of eminent global leaders brought together by Nelson Mandela. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter watches baseball players work out before Game 2 of the National League Division Series between the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Friday, Oct. 4, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Dave Martin) Former President Jimmy Carter speaks during a forum at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014. Among other topics, Carter discussed his new book, "A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power." (AP Photo/Elise Amendola) President Jimmy Carter, left, and Rosalynn Carter arrive at the 2015 MusiCares Person of the Year event at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Friday, Feb. 6, 2015 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP) In this July 10, 2015, file photo, former President Jimmy Carter is seen in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File) In a Sunday, Aug. 23, 2015 file photo, former President Jimmy Carter teaches Sunday School class at Maranatha Baptist Church in his hometown, in Plains, Ga. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File) Former President Jimmy Carter answers questions during a news conference at a Habitat for Humanity building site Monday, Nov. 2, 2015, in Memphis, Tenn. Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, have volunteered a week of their time annually to Habitat for Humanity since 1984, events dubbed "Carter work projects" that draw thousands of volunteers and take months of planning. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) Former President Bill Clinton, left, and former president Jimmy Carter shake hands after speaking at a Clinton Global Initiative meeting Tuesday, June 14, 2016, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter holds a morning devotion in Memphis, Tenn., on Monday, Aug. 22, 2016, before he and his wife Rosalynn help build a home for Habitat for Humanity. (AP Photo/Alex Sanz) Former president Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter arrive during the 58th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) In this Feb. 8, 2017, file photo, former President Jimmy Carter speaks during a ribbon cutting ceremony for a solar panel project on farmland he owns in his hometown of Plains, Ga. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File) Former President George W. Bush, center, speaks as fellow former Presidents from right, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter look on during a hurricanes relief concert in College Station, Texas, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017. All five living former U.S. presidents joined to support a Texas concert raising money for relief efforts from Hurricane Harvey, Irma and Maria's devastation in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. (AP Photo/LM Otero) Former President Jimmy Carter, 93, sits for an interview about his new book "Faith: A Journey For All" which will debut at no. 7 on the New York Times best sellers list, pictured before a book signing Wednesday, April 11, 2018, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis) Former President Jimmy Carter speaks as Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams listens during a news conference to announce Abrams' rural health care plan Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018, in Plains, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) Former President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter are seen ahead of an NFL football game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) Former President Jimmy Carter takes questions submitted by students during an annual Carter Town Hall held at Emory University Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis) Democratic presidential candidate former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, left, meets with former President Jimmy Carter, center, at Buffalo Cafe in Plains, Ga., Sunday, March 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Former President Jimmy Carter reacts as his wife Rosalynn Carter speaks during a reception to celebrate their 75th wedding anniversary on July 10, 2021, in Plains, Ga. In this Nov. 3, 2019, file photo, former President Jimmy Carter teaches Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Ga. Former President Jimmy Carter, arrives to attend a tribute service for his wife and former first lady Rosalynn Carter, at Glenn Memorial Church, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Former President Jimmy Carter arrives for the funeral service for his wife, former first lady Rosalynn Carter at Maranatha Baptist Church, Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023, in Plains, Ga. The former first lady died on Nov. 19. She was 96. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) A sign wishing former President Jimmy Carter a happy 100th birthday sits on the North Lawn of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) FILE - Former President Jimmy Carter teaches Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church, in Plains, Ga., Nov. 3, 2019. Well-wishes and fond remembrances for the former president continued to roll in Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023, a day after he entered hospice care at his home in Georgia. (AP Photo/John Amis, File) Contact Connor Wood at (309)820-3240. Follow Connor on Twitter:@connorkwood Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Higher Education Reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Government Reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.IOWA CITY, Iowa — Jahmal Banks let out deep breath that would have been visible a few minutes earlier on the Kinnick Stadium field as the pom-pom atop his red stocking cap bobbed. What’s left? The Nebraska senior receiver hadn’t really considered it yet. His spirits — not to mention body temperature — were too down in the moments after another walk-off loss to Iowa. Regular season over, with this fifth defeat in six games stinging more as the numbness began to wear off. “Get better,” Banks said finally. “Craft. At the end of the day, it’s still football. For the people who are going to be with us, we’ll give everything we have. And just keep going.” The day after the Iowa game has been Blacker Saturday for Nebraska for most of the last decade. It usually marks the end of games and beginning of an offseason of reflection and roster change while other teams play in December and January. These Huskers will be busier. Early signing day moved up even earlier this cycle from mid-December to Wednesday and NU — at 19 known commits into the weekend and potential targets still in the balance — will try to close better than it did in Iowa City. The transfer portal opens Dec. 9 and coach Matt Rhule has said he expects upwards of 50 players to enter as the program begins to trim its roster from 150-plus on the way to next year’s mandated maximum size of 105. Of course, Nebraska will be an active shopper in the free-agent market, too. Unlike the past seven seasons, though, bowl season will also include a Nebraska bowl game. A year ago the matchups for possible bowls the Huskers are contenders for now — including the Music City, Guaranteed Rate, Pinstripe, GameAbove Sports and Duke’s Mayo — were announced the Sunday after conference championship weekend. That gives NU a full week to chew on yet another one-score loss before it has an opponent for which to prepare. While a crowd of Iowa players reveled in boisterous extended postgame interviews, only a few Huskers spoke. Those brief sessions — for just a few minutes each as the team hurried to pack up and return to Lincoln — were more about the future than the painful immediate past. Quarterback Dylan Raiola — like his new offensive coordinator, Dana Holgorsen — said he knew he would take at least a day or two off. “I’m not really sure what’s going to happen next, what bowl we’re going to or what’s going on,” the freshman said. “We’ll figure that out soon.” Senior defensive lineman Ty Robinson wore a straight face as he considered that his sixth and final college season would last longer than any of the others. Even with a likely NFL future coming, don’t count him as part of the modern trend of postseason opt-outs “Come back on Monday,” Robinson said. “It’s new for me so I don’t really know what to expect. I’m excited to be a part of it, though. I love this program. I love that I get to be able to practice and play football for the next few weeks and get to go to a bowl game.” Rhule — as angry as he was upset late Friday — said the Iowa result should “probably bother people” for a while. It should fester with younger players who will be back in red inside Kinnick Stadium in 2026. At some point, he said, Nebraska needs to finish. Chasing three points was the program’s season-long motto and ultimately the Hawkeyes were the ones who caught the triple. “It’s just where we’re at, you know what I mean?” Rhule said. “As dumb as that sounds, we have to get better. Have to get better.” Nebraska has objectively improved in areas from the beginning of the year. The defense was dominant save for one disastrous sequence on the 72-yard touchdown that began with a swing pass to Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson and included five missed tackles. The offense under Holgorsen moved and controlled the ball. But the shortcomings were on display, too. The Huskers forced no takeaways for a second time in November. Too many potential big plays on offense went unmade or unseen. Special teams featured another catastrophic moment on the muffed punt and a series of lesser miscues that consistently tilted field position toward the Hawkeyes. Friday wasn’t the season finale this time. Even it felt like it in the cold. “Losing this game doesn’t do justice to see all the success and the strides we’ve made as a team,” Raiola said. “But that’s what it is right now.” Get local news delivered to your inbox!
In the age of social media and digital influencers, where beauty standards are constantly evolving and being redefined, the photo of Zhang Baizhi and Yang Zi serves as a reminder that beauty is not restricted to one particular aesthetic or image. It is a multifaceted and inclusive concept that encompasses a wide range of expressions, styles, and personalities. As these two talented actresses demonstrate, true beauty lies in diversity, individuality, and the courage to be authentically oneself.Conservative: Amnesty’s ‘Genocide’ Game Amnesty International “produced a report accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza” — but, sniffs Commentary’s Seth Mandel , “a funny thing happened on the way to the forum.” The group’s Israel branch, “the part of the organization that works on the ground in the country . . . disavowed the report .” Why? “The report is a joke. It didn’t take long for people to find the part where Amnesty explained that in order to find Israel guilty of genocide, the organization had to literally redefine genocide .” “So Amnesty International dissents from international law. That’s fine. Just be up-front about it: Amnesty is not accusing Israel of ‘genocide,’ it is accusing Israel of a different crime which Amnesty has named ‘genocide,’ just so it could use that word.” Libertarian: The Obama CIA’s Futile Syria Scheme “From 2013 to 2017, the CIA spent over $1 billion trying to strengthen ‘moderate rebels’ against both Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and anti-American extremists in the opposition,” but “Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, former head of Al Qaeda in Syria” is now “accomplishing in a week what the CIA tried and failed to do for years” after he “organized a surprise offensive against the Syrian government,” reports Reason’s Matthew Petti. “The collapse of Assad’s government” is “a sign of how futile U.S. intervention has been. The U.S. spent years paying Syrians to kill their countrymen without being able to shape the outcome, before giving up.” Now, Jolani’s evil Levant Liberation Committee is calling the shots. “All the American money spent and Syrian blood it paid to spill amounted to very little in the end.” Labor beat: Biden the Unions’ Man “Thanks to the undemocratic power of government unions, the new administration will be limited in its ability to deliver more efficient services for citizens,” grumble the Washington Examiner’s editors . The Biden crew just inked a new labor deal that lets 42,000 Social Security Administration employees work remotely “when President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in” — moving “to thwart Trump’s government efficiency agenda.” Barring government workers from “signing collective bargaining agreements with government agencies” is the only way “to make the federal government efficient.” Foreign desk: Blame Macron for French Collapse France faces “its most serious political, constitutional and economic crisis in decades,” warns Spiked’s Fraser Myers — and President Emmanuel Macron is to blame, as it’s his “hand-picked prime minister,” Michel Barnier, just ousted by a no-confidence vote. “Under the French constitution, legislative elections cannot be held until the summer of 2025, meaning Macron is stuck with a hung parliament that won’t accept his austerity measures or pass a new budget,” making France “effectively ungovernable for the foreseeable future.” Many “blame the ‘populists’ on the left and the right for pulling the plug on Barnier’s ailing government.” But France’s centrists deserve to be j’accused: “While it would be overstating it to say the French economy is on the verge of collapse, we are a very long way away from the dynamic, competitive ‘start-up nation’ that Macron promised to build when he entered the Élysée.” From the right: End the Pardon-palooza Now that President Biden has pardoned his son Hunter, Democrats are debating whether he “should hand out similar pre-emptive clemency like Christmas stocking stuffers,” snarks The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board . If Biden goes along, it’ll “be another broken democratic norm, and another swirl into the lawfare spiral.” “Pre-emptive pardons for outgoing officials would be a bad precedent” and “a constitutional abuse.” They risk “developing a culture of impunity,” with the next administration expecting the same for their guy. To cool things, Biden could pardon Donald Trump for the two federal cases against him. Note that Trump said in his debate with Biden that his only retribution will be to be successful. If he “leaned into that message, it would do the country good.” — Compiled by The Post Editorial Board
Trump joins Putin, Xi and Modi as the ‘four horsemen’ of global authoritarianismHATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) — Denijay Harris' 24 points helped Southern Miss defeat Milwaukee 66-65 on Saturday. Harris hit a 3-pointer and Neftali Alvarez made a layup with 2 seconds left as the Golden Eagles (3-4) rallied from a 65-61 deficit in the final minute. Jett Montgomery scored 13 points while shooting 5 for 8, including 3 for 6 from beyond the arc. Cobie Montgomery finished 3 of 6 from 3-point range to finish with 10 points. Themus Fulks led the way for the Panthers (5-4) with 17 points. Milwaukee also got 13 points and seven rebounds from Kentrell Pullian. AJ McKee also had 10 points and eight rebounds. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
OTTAWA—A Liberal promise to dole out $250 cheques to millions of people is now in limbo thanks to two opposition parties who are demanding the money flow to more cash-strapped Canadians. The NDP’s Jagmeet Singh signalled Monday that he wants to see eligibility for the cheques extended beyond working Canadians to include seniors, people with disabilities, those receiving unemployment benefits and anyone — particularly students — who joined the workforce for the first time last year. He wasn’t the only leader to push for more to secure the swift passage of the measure: the Bloc Québécois’ Yves-François Blanchet told reporters in French that those “who have actually worked all their lives” must be included, describing the cash handouts as a crude move to win votes. The demands come as Justin Trudeau’s rivals seek to leverage last week’s unveiling of a multibillion-dollar affordability package for their own political gain. The GST cut would be applied to children’s clothes, toys, diapers and car seats. The Liberals have pledged to introduce a two-month GST cut on a number of grocery and holiday essentials, among other items. They would also send $250 to Canadians who worked in 2023, filed their tax return for that year by the end of 2024, and earned up to $150,000. All told, the measures would cost $6.3 billion. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on Monday justified the measures, in part, as a way to combat what she called a “vibecession,” or the “disconnect” between Canadians’ feelings about the economy and broader, positive economic signals. “Canadians aren’t feeling it, and that is shaping their economic behaviour in ways that are not great for the Canadian economy,” she told reporters. But the Liberals need opposition support to pass the package of pledges — and to pause a that has brought most parliamentary business to a standstill. Singh said Monday he was prepared to back the Trudeau government’s planned GST holiday, after he proposed a more comprehensive version of the tax cut one week earlier. “We want to see the GST holiday happen right away. We know that people are feeling squeezed. They need a break this winter. So let’s pass the GST holiday. And the Liberals need to fix the cheques,” he said. Singh stopped short of stating whether he would block the passage of rebates if the government introduces that portion of the legislation unchanged. But a senior NDP source who spoke to the Star on the condition they not be named said the Liberals won’t be able to force the NDP to back the measure until it meets the party’s expectations. The New Democrats have said they would introduce a so-called “programming” motion to temporarily suspend a Conservative-led effort to stall House of Commons proceedings. Begun in late September, it is a bid to compel the Liberals to release more documents related to a scandal-riddled — and now-defunct — green technology funding agency. The pause would theoretically allow the Liberals’ legislation to be debated and passed in a single day. The NDP source said the party may not even move forward with such a motion until their demands are met, saying “there’s no possibility, really, of this going to a vote until they get that part repaired.” Two senior Liberal sources with knowledge of discussions between the government and the NDP said talks are ongoing and that the GST pause and the $250 payments could be contained in one piece of legislation or two. It could also be separate from other legislation that may come out of the fall economic statement. One insider, on the condition of anonymity, said “it depends on how any agreement comes together, including on who all is included” in the measures. The Conservatives’ filibuster has prevented the Liberals from scheduling the presentation of its economic update, and allowing MPs to vote on the government’s supplementary estimates, which requires parliament’s approval for more than $21 billion in spending on a range of measures. Freeland said Monday that the government is having “energetic conversations” with other parties, but did not say when the legislation to enact the affordability package will be tabled. Trudeau, in a TVA interview in Montreal on Monday, defended the decision to offer GST cuts that he insisted will benefit everyone, and to send $250 cheques to certain Canadians. Trudeau said his government has already done a lot for seniors, listing enhanced old-age payments for those over 75, and the extension of publicly-paid dental care to all seniors. He also said child-care supports have helped families, and noted the government has not extended free dental care to “40-year-old workers” who also didn’t have access to other government supports but will now receive a bit of relief to “help them with ... the cost of living.” The prime minister said Ottawa can afford the measures because Canada’s economic indicators are “hyper-positive” vis-à-vis G7 partners, with Canada having the lowest deficit, and receiving higher direct foreign investment than its peers. But, he added, many Canadians are still feeling squeezed. Both Freeland and Procurement Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said Monday the one-time, temporary measures will not create any new “structural” deficit, meaning it won’t add year-over-year spending to the annual budget which is already in the red. In a statement to the Star, Freeland’s office said the $250 payments will be “clearly labelled” as the affordability measure they are intended to be, whether delivered via direct deposit or by cheque. It may also go to those whose income comes from working or from investment income, the statement said. “The $250 rebate is for all Canadians who worked in 2023 and earned up to $150,000 in net income. That means revenue from all sources, minus your allowable deductions,” said Freeland spokesperson Katherine Cuplinskas.