1. **Lack of Transparency:** Governor Larragus has often been accused of operating behind closed doors, making decisions without consulting the public or relevant stakeholders. This lack of transparency has eroded trust in his leadership.
A look back at 2024 in photos
'I thought more people would notice we were striking': Inside the thoughts of a Canada Post workerUltimately, the right price for a down jacket is subjective and depends on your budget, preferences, and priorities. It's essential to do your research, compare different options, and read reviews from other buyers to make an informed decision. By considering factors like price, quality, and intended use, you can find a down jacket that not only fits your budget but also meets your needs for warmth, comfort, and style.Portland and Falmouth took home gold footballs Saturday after posting state championship victories at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland. In the Class A game, Portland quarterback Louis Thurston ran for two touchdowns and passed for two more to help the Bulldogs overpower Thornton Academy of Saco 35-14. The win avenged last year’s loss to the Trojans in the title game. Portland finished the season with a 10-2 record. Thornton, playing in its sixth consecutive Class A championship, finished 9-3. Trailing 7-6 in the third quarter, Portland’s offense ignited behind Thurston, who finished with 119 rushing yards on 13 carries and 126 passing yards, according to the Portland Press Herald . It started with an 81-yard touchdown run by Thurston. He then completed a pass for the 2-point PAT to give the Bulldogs a 14-7 lead. On Portland’s next possession, Thurston completed a 64-yard TD pass to Aidan McGowan. After Portland recovered an onside kick, Thurston tossed a TD pass to Cordell Jones to make it 28-7. The teams traded touchdowns to account for the final. Thornton Academy was led by Mauricio Sunderland, who had a 21-yard TD run and gained 115 yards. In the Class B game, Falmouth’s Indi Backman and Gio Guerrette ran for touchdowns and quarterback Tres Walker threw for a score to lead the Navigators to a 26-13 victory over Kennebunk. Falmouth finished the season 11-0 with the victory which marked its first state title. Defending state champion Kennebunk finished 10-1. Falmouth jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first half only to see Kennebunk lineman Calvin Johnson intercept a Walker pass and return it 15 yards for a touchdown to pull the Rams within 14-6, according to Centralmaine.com Peter Kearns of Falmouth kicked a 35-yard field goal to make it 17-6 at halftime. Kearns punctuated a Falmouth drive by kicking another 35-yard field goal to start the second half making it 20-6. Kennebunk’s Jaiden Homa returned the ensuing kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown to pull the Rams within 20-13. But Falmouth countered when Guerrette scored on an 80-yard run to give the Navigators a 26-13 lead.Massive Best Buy Black Friday sale — here's the 35 deals I'm shopping this weekend
Following the Green Bay Packers ' 34-31 Thursday night loss to the Detroit Lions , one team that benefits in the standings is the Washington Commanders . Washington (8-5) is now only one game behind the Packers (9-4) in the race for the NFC's second Wild Card playoff spot. Both teams are solidly in position to make the playoffs, with no one outside the NFC's current field above .500. However, there will be a major difference between the No. 6 seed and the No. 7 seed. Whichever team earns the No. 7 seed, the final Wild Card position, will be forced to travel to either Detroit or Philadelphia for their playoff opener. The 12-1 Lions and the 10-2 Eagles, in all likelihood, are not going to lose on Wild Card weekend. The No. 6 seed, on the other hand, would face off against either the NFC West or NFC South winner, and neither of those divisions have any elite squads. The Seattle Seahawks currently lead the West at 7-5, while the Atlanta Falcons lead the South at 6-6. Though still on the road, either of those hypothetical matchups would be much more favorable for the Commanders. To earn that slot, they must gain at least one more game on the Packers throughout the remainder of the regular season. It is doable. Following its bye, Washington faces only one team with a winning record (the Eagles at home in Week 16) while the Packers have road matchups remaining against the Seahawks and the 10-2 Minnesota Vikings . The Commanders also currently hold the tiebreaker in such an event, with a 2-2 record in divisional play while Green Bay is 1-3. With this opportunity up for grabs, the Commanders cannot simply coast into the playoffs. They must stay on the gas in order to secure a matchup that would give them a more realistic shot at advancing past Wild Card weekend.
In addition to serving as a gateway to the Chinese market, the Amazon Global Store in Nanjing will also enable the company to better connect with local suppliers, manufacturers, and sellers, fostering partnerships and collaborations that will drive innovation, create jobs, and spur economic growth in the region.Furthermore, the full rollout of the individual pension system is expected to encourage greater participation in retirement planning and financial literacy among the general population. As more individuals become aware of the importance of saving for retirement and the benefits of personal pension plans, the overall level of financial preparedness for retirement is likely to improve significantly.
My last dog had a favorite toy, and it was my favorite as well. As part of a team at a former job, we found an Etsy seller who made a tiny plush replica of the product we produced, but for dogs! A chewable newspaper for dogs with a strikingly similar design of our newspaper. A tiny version of the product I spent my days working on, now in the soft paws of my standard poodle. Its length and shape made for the perfect fetching toy, fitting directly in my dog’s mouth as she ran across the patio, and we spent many afternoons throwing the plush newspaper back and forth. Since her passing, it’s the one item I’ve decided not to donate. It sits in my closet and I tucked that beautiful playtime memory into the back of my mind, until recently when I read several fascinating articles and discussions about America’s cult favorite dog toy , Lamb Chop. Shari Lewis’s beloved 1960’s lamb puppet has solidified a space in our dog’s lives, from seasonal outfits , to jumbo versions, to tiny birthday hats , and even entire boxes of different sized lambs . Lamb Chop is a staple part of toy bins, even securing the nickname “lamby” amongst fans. Again, this toy has a shape that lends itself to fitting into animals mouths making it a great fetching toy, but there’s more to it when pet parents on TikTok are throwing Lamb Chop parties . As referenced by the New York Times , with some 32% of pet owners currently in the millennial generation that grew up watching Lamb Chop's Play-Along on their TVs throughout the 90's, let’s be honest, it’s the owners who really love tossing around a tiny Lamb Chop puppet. Beyond everyone's favorite stuffed lamb, a search for dog toys reveals so many obscure references, anyone can find a toy that fits the exact personality you’d like to impart on your fur baby. Lamb Chop is not alone in this feel-good nostalgia kick. New Yorker’s can grab a bagel and coffee (“Packed with fluff!”) or Philly folks can find a cotton water ice and pretzel for their dogs. LA dogs might enjoy a “Hollywoof” set . Pets of gamers might find a “game bone” player toys or gaming dice in their holiday stockings. Holiday deals: Shop this season’s top products and sales curated by our editors. Foodies can guide their dogs to charcuterie board interactive games or a seafood boil with several toys within a plush pot. There are a plethora of options for Disney adults . Even more oddly specific are Malort bottles , a Dolly Pardon all-access tour pass , even the iconic cookie tin filled with grandma’s sewing materials . Each toy speaks to a different human community, a trend you want people to know your dog is a part of, even as far as the great millennial stereotype of brunch dates . Of course, dogs don’t understand the cultural connotation of a large burning hemp joint . And some of the shapes leave legitimate questions as to how playtime will go; how do you toss and fetch an entire bowl of ramen noodles ? But none of that matters since these toys are for us. These toys speak to our own activities and fandoms, and they create a cultural bond between us and our pets, pulling them deeper into our families, and imagining them as enjoying the same pop culture references that we love. This idea isn’t new. Research into ancient pet relationships tells us a similar story about integrating our animals into our communities. Dating back to ancient Mesopotamia, the type of collar or amulet around a dog’s neck would indicate its owner's status and place in local communities. In research on the burial process of ancient animals, University of Alberta’s Robert Losey discusses in-depth the funerary traditions of leaving human items like spoons with your pet for their journey into the afterlife. These items did more to help other humans understand the owners place in society than they did appeal to the pet, also helping owners include their animal into their familial unit. It’s not such a different exercise as buying your dog a soft roll of film because you have an affinity for photography. Considering the records of Victorians creating what we’d now call enrichment toys for their beloved songbirds , it doesn’t seem so strange that we’d gravitate toward tiki plush toys and doggie dentist activities . Lamb Chop represents us as much as it creates enjoyment for our pets, and what could be better than family bonding. Do you have a “lamby”? Share your favorite pet bonding toy with me at adooling@gannett.com .One of the key policies that have helped drive the recovery of the real estate market is the relaxation of purchasing restrictions. In response to the slowdown in the property market, the government has eased restrictions on home purchases, making it easier for individuals to buy properties. This has led to an increase in demand for housing, thereby boosting sales and prices in the real estate sector. Additionally, the government has also introduced favorable loan policies, such as lower interest rates and longer loan terms, to make it more affordable for buyers to finance their home purchases.Rapper Jack Harlow Praises Coach Mauresmo on Social Media: "My Mentor"
A new name has been on the tip of the tongue of those with a keen eye for social media this past week, as the amphitheatre of micro-blogging was introduced to its latest contender. Several Highland-based micro-bloggers, including journalists, activists, artists, authors, historians, sportspeople and politicians, have signed up to the upstart social media platform, Bluesky - which many media experts are calling a viable alternative to X (Twitter). RELATED: YOUR VIEWS: The vital role of local media Journalism Matters campaign finds three-quarters of Brits value trusted journalism more than ever Follow Highland News & Media titles on BlueSky First launched in October 2021, Bluesky today reports a user count of over 21 million, boasting an average of one million new user signups per day in the past week. Highland MSPs Maree Todd, Emma Roddick and Jamie Halcro Johnston are among a long list of Scottish Government ministers to have joined the platform, while author Ian Rankin, singer Julie Fowlis, and football clubs Brora Rangers, Clachnacuddin and Nairn County have also decided to sign up. Micro-blogging, a social medium designed for quick and typically direct audience interactions, first came to the fore with the launch of Twitter in 2006. But despite many alternatives popping up over the years, such as Mastadon and most recently, Meta’s Threads, the platform now known as X has remained largely unchallenged as the world’s number one choice. But the industry-defining social network, which was renamed after Tesla and Space X CEO Elon Musk acquired the platform for $44 billion in October 2022, has undergone significant change of late. The introduction of an opt-in, paid subscription service, which offers features such as longer posts and enhanced visibility, as well as a paid-for verification mark, attracted criticism from users and advertisers, concerned that the platform could become vulnerable to the sharing of disinformation. This was evidenced soon after its introduction when a spoof account with a paid-for verification mark masqueraded as drinks icon Pepsi, before tweeting the line, “Coke is better.” Many experts now believe that Bluesky - an ‘open source’ alternative - could become a viable competitor to Musk’s X. The app, accessible via bsky.app is currently top of the free section of the US iPhone App Store, above Meta’s alternative Threads and AI assistant ChatGPT, after a surge of new downloads. Bluesky is a PBC (public benefit corporation) with the mission “to develop and drive large-scale adoption of technologies for open and decentralized public conversation.” From the start, our goal has been to build a decentralized social network that is usable by the mainstream. [image or embed] The outcome of the US presidential election, which has since seen Musk named as the man to spearhead President-elect Trump’s new “Department of Government Efficiency”, has been highlighted as the likely catalyst for Bluesky’s sudden rise in popularity. Yesterday, Forbes.com described the growing app as a “decentralized alternative for those disillusioned by algorithmic favouritism, toxic discourse and privacy concerns.” Among those to join Bluesky this week is Highland MSP Maree Todd, Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport, who believes that recent changes to the X platform have made it “increasingly more difficult to communicate and connect” with constituents. She said: "As a politician, it's important to me that I am accessible for my constituents, stakeholders, the media and local activists, and X, over the years, has supported me in this. “However, recent changes to the platform have made it increasingly more difficult to communicate and connect with these groups effectively. “I have also noticed a significant rise in the amount of online abuse I have experienced since the platform’s takeover. While scrutiny is part of the role, abuse is never acceptable, and I now find X to be a rather unpleasant online space. “I am also deeply concerned about the changes to the block function and what this means for online safety overall. “I am hopeful that Bluesky will provide a more constructive way of engaging with my constituents, similar to how X functioned prior to its takeover.” Inverness cycling advocate Emily Williams, who also left X to join Bluesky, says that the app’s facility to allow users to bulk-follow accounts using “starter packs” has made her micro-blogging experience less “toxic”. “It is a much more chilled place than Twitter,” she explains. “Most of the UK active travel chat folk have moved over wholesale, and there are follow lists that make things really easy. “Finding people was really easy. There are curated lists, so I just bulk-followed two or three active travel ones. There is less toxicity from the known anti-cycling brigade, so far less blocking and deleting! “It’s just nice having the chronological feed and no adverts, but I do need to do some admin so that I don’t miss stuff.” Photographer Mel Roger, who lives in Caithness, also made the switch, but she says she’s not quite ready to say goodbye to X just yet. She said: “I haven’t left X entirely yet as I still require to interact with and send information to users who have not yet moved platform, or have not yet added an additional platform. “I will run my posts down on X over the next few months though, using Facebook and Bluesky as the main outlets for links. When using X for news at the moment I no longer use the “for you” option, I only use the “following” option. “That’s seems to have reduced the amount of toxic posts that I see.” Fiona Macleod from Invergordon, who works for an adult learning charity, says the joy of finding people with shared interests is a big part of Bluesky’s appeal. “I really love the 'starter packs', making it easier to follow people linked to a topic so you can really tailor your feed to be full of people who are interested in the same thing as you. “I understand some may say that’s creating an ‘echo chamber’, but I personally think that’s the joy of it. “It's what we do in real life, we go to groups or take part in activities that interest us, we hang out with people that share interests with us.” Run by a staff of just 20 full-time employees, Bluesky is currently operated by its CEO, software engineer Jay Graber - but the app was originally conceptualised by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. While Dorsey is no longer on the board of Bluesky, the application’s similarities to X are undeniable. It’s white butterfly on a blue background bears a striking resemble to "Larry the Bird", the iconic logo for Twitter for over a decade. The big difference though? Bluesky has been cultivated as an ‘open ecosystem’. While it might look like a familiar app on the surface, behind the scenes it's CEO says it has been designed to “always put users first.” Using the AP protocol - a system which emphasizes “decentralization, transparency and user autonomy” - users will have more control over their data and the curation of their feed. CEO Graber says it can ‘guarantee’ that the platform will always be open to developers to create new ways for their data and information to be used. One developer has already created a directory of “starter packs” enabling new Bluesky users to hit the ground running by following groups of people they will be most interested in. Another has created an analytics perform which allows Bluesky users to follow the growth of their account in real-time, or over custom date ranges. Bluesky uses AI internally to assist in content moderation, which helps us triage posts and shield human moderators from harmful content. We also use AI in the Discover algorithmic feed to serve you posts that we think you’d like.None of these are Gen AI systems trained on user content. Bluesky has also confirmed to users that their posts will not be used to train generative artificial intelligence (AI). In a post on November 15, Bluesky confirmed that it only uses AI to “assist in content moderation, in an effort to “triage posts and shield human moderators from harmful content.” It also uses it in its algorithmic Discover feed, but it says “none of these are Gen AI systems trained on user content.” But where Bluesky is not quite at the races yet is in having many of the ease-of-use features the likes of Twitter has come to possess after years as the market leader. On users’ list of “wants” will be tools such as the ability to schedule posts (a handy tool for marketers or content creators) or post longer videos (Bluesky currently limits video to 60 seconds). Bluesky still has a long way to go in matching up to X’s user count, 21 million is a far cry from X’s estimated 300 million active users worldwide, but if the speed of its growth in November is anything to go by, it appears as though it may be here to stay. A starting point as we await a few others signing up to BlueSky. Highland News & Media journalists assemble! Covering news and sport across the Highlands and Moray. Please share around. [image or embed]
The roadshow campaign was unveiled with great enthusiasm, drawing participation from a diverse range of stakeholders, including seasoned business leaders, technology experts, investors, and aspiring e-commerce enthusiasts. The main objective of the campaign is to provide a platform for emerging talents to showcase their innovative products and business models, receive valuable feedback from industry veterans, and gain exposure to potential investors and partners.
AC Milan: Chiesa to Replace Pessina in Crucial Champions League MatchAs the holiday season approaches, Huawei is not only surprising consumers with competitive pricing for the Huawei Pura 70 Series but also with a range of exciting promotions and offers. The Double Twelve event is set to be a celebration of innovation and creativity, with exclusive deals and discounts on Huawei's latest devices. From limited-time bundles to special gifts with purchase, Huawei is pulling out all the stops to make this festive season truly unforgettable for its customers.
Furthermore, Baresi emphasized the need for patience and long-term planning in building a successful football ecosystem. While European clubs have established structures and coaching methodologies that have evolved over decades, he cautioned against expecting instant results in China. Instead, he advocated for investing in grassroots programs, youth academies, and coaching education to ensure sustainable growth and development.
Five things to know about Panama Canal, in Trump's sights
In conclusion, the Three-Dimensional World low-code platform represents a new paradigm in software development, empowering users to unleash their creativity and accelerate their digital transformation journey. With its user-friendly interface, robust customization options, and unwavering commitment to security, the platform sets a new standard for what a low-code platform can achieve. As we look towards the future of technology, Three-Dimensional World stands poised to lead the way, shaping the three-dimensional world of possibilities for developers and businesses alike.