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Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes a mix of commentary online and in print each day. To contribute, click here . ••• Of the eight states with Great Lakes shoreline, President-elect Donald Trump carried five in 2024 while Vice President Kamala Harris won three. That political split is a surprising reason to be optimistic that the U.S. Congress will act before the year’s end to reauthorize a critical program with a vital mission: cleaning up decades of industrial pollution around these inland seas. There’s long been broad support for the program, known as the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). Now, with it set to expire in 2026 , a bipartisan coalition of Great Lakes politicians is commendably flexing its political muscle to reauthorize the GLRI this year, which would extend it through 2031 . The urgency is appropriate. Passing the bill now demonstrates commitment to the ongoing cleanup work. It also prevents the need to reintroduce the bill next session, when lawmakers face a crowded agenda and a new government efficiency committee could put programs like it at risk. Having bipartisan backers should help GLRI clear a divided Congress. Great Lakes politicians’ advocacy powered the $475 million reauthorization bill through the U.S. Senate Wednesday night and hopefully will lead to its U.S. House passage in the typically chaotic weeks before the year’s end. The conscientious GLRI coalition includes four Minnesotans: Rep. Pete Stauber, a Republican, Rep. Angie Craig, a Democrat , and the state’s two Democratic senators: Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith . Toxic waste, damaged habitat and waters that aren’t safe for swimming or fishing along the Great Lakes’ U.S. and Canadian shorelines are the regrettable legacy of the less enlightened era before modern clean water regulations. In the 1980s, 43 of the most degraded areas around the Great Lakes were designated “Areas of Concern. One of them: northern Minnesota’s St. Louis River estuary. Unfortunately, insufficient remediation progress followed that designation. But the GLRI, launched in 2010 , ambitiously aimed to end almost a quarter century of inaction. Since then, the GLRI has provided “over $3.7 billion to 16 federal organizations to strategically target the biggest threats to the Great Lakes ecosystem, including invasive species, harmful algal blooms, and loss of fish and wildlife,” according to a Nov. 12 letter from four U.S. House representatives urging colleagues to swiftly reauthorize the GLRI. The missive makes a strong argument by noting the historic progress made since 2010. Five areas of concern have been delisted and over “6,700 river miles have been cleared of dams and other barriers, resulting in expanded wildlife habitat and increased biodiversity. Additionally, nearly 479,000 acres of habitat, including 65,000 acres of coastal wetlands, have been restored to improve ecosystem resilience,” wrote Reps. David Joyce, R-Ohio, Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., and Debbie Dingell, D-Mich. Joyce is the House bill’s lead author. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., is the Senate’s lead . The four Minnesotans are cosponsors, which reflects well on them and the state. Vice President-elect JD Vance is also a cosponsor. Minnesotans can see for themselves that the GLRI has worked. The St. Louis River in the Duluth area has long been considered among the most challenging areas of concern to remedy. Reasons include its vast size and that it straddles two states. But last summer, a public celebration marked the opening of a new waterfront recreation area on a site, once home to a U.S. Steel operation, that had been closed to the public for decades. Thanks to the $165 million cleanup effort, Duluth residents and visitors can now enjoy “acres of rolling green space with a new, walkable peninsula, a 2-mile extension of the Waabizheshikana Trail and safe habitat for both aquatic life and woodland creatures ,” the Star Tribune reported . The St. Louis River estuary is still listed as an area of concern, but delisting could potentially take place early next decade . That goal, as well as continuing the work on other areas of concern across the Great Lakes, hinges on the steady funding stream provided by reauthorization. Finishing this work is a “moral imperative,” said Nelson French , a retired state employee who put together a visionary “business plan” about a decade ago to tackle St. Louis River pollution. This in an investment in future generations’ health and well-being. The Great Lakes system holds “one-fifth of the world’s fresh surface water supply and nine-tenths of the U.S. supply,” according the Great Lakes Commission , providing drinking water for more than 40 million in the U.S. and Canada. “The lakes directly generate more than 1.5 million jobs and $60 billion in wages annually,” with recreation generating “more than $52 billion annually for the region.” This week, Klobuchar said the Great Lakes are “integral to our way of life” and added that “we are working on bipartisan basis to get the bill through both houses as part of a year-end package or through the House.” Stauber’s support is critical with Republicans controlling the U.S. House. “Lake Superior and the other Great Lakes are national treasures, a key pillar of our economy, and the backdrop of countless special memories for my family and many others,” he said in a statement Thursday. “Protecting the Great Lakes has always been a top priority of mine and I am proud to advocate for this bipartisan bill that will support ecosystem restoration, combat the spread of invasive species, and keep our waters clean. I’m glad it passed the Senate, and I hope the House can do the same soon.” Stauber sent a strong letter on Friday urging key House committee members to move the GLRI bill. His office said it’s still unclear when the House could vote. The northeast Minnesota congressman was just elected to his fourth term and is increasingly influential in Washington, D.C. Expediting the GLRI bill’s passage through his chamber is a fine place to wield that clout.While enduring what he called one of the “most disciplined weeks” of workouts since he’s played for Arizona, KJ Lewis also came down on himself. Before helping lead Arizona to a 102-66 win over Southern Utah on Saturday, the Wildcats sophomore wing said he apologized to teammates and coach Tommy Lloyd for behavior that led to costly technical fouls in UA’s recent losses to Duke and Oklahoma. He also pledged to better control himself going forward. “I know I’m one of the leaders of this group, so I’m just trying to be better in that aspect,” Lewis said. Wildcats guard KJ Lewis (5) jumps for a lay-up against Southern Utah at McKale Center, Dec. 7, 2024. Then, although it wasn’t technically about discipline, Lewis also all but took himself out of the starting lineup Saturday. Lloyd already pulled Lewis from the starting lineup on Nov. 29 against West Virginia in the Battle 4 Atlantis, a day after Lewis had picked up his second technical foul in three games, but that penalty appeared to be over. This time, Lloyd said, it was Lewis’ idea to stay on the bench while freshman Carter Bryant started instead. “It really wasn’t planned on early in the week and KJ came to me the past couple days and asked if I would be open to him not starting,” Lloyd said. “He just felt like maybe it would give other guys some opportunities to get some confidence and kind of put him in a role similar to what Pelle (Larsson) played a few years ago for us.” Larsson has said he approved a move from a starting role into the sixth-man spot midway through the 2022-23 season, in part because transfer forward Cedric Henderson was more comfortable as a starter. Larsson went on to start throughout last season and become a second-round draft pick last June who is now playing regularly for the Miami Heat. It’s possible that the Lewis-Bryant move remains similarly permanent. “We’re gonna continue to evaluate it, but it’s something that I’m not afraid to do,” Lloyd said. At least for Saturday’s experiment, the move appeared to work for both players. It put Lewis back in the aggressive sixth-man role he thrived in last season as a freshman, with Lewis picking up 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists and two steals. He still played the second-most minutes on the team, 23. Bryant, meanwhile, had only five points but a team-high nine rebounds, four assists and two steals with just one turnover in 17 minutes. Besides, Arizona hardly needed Bryant’s scoring. The Wildcats received a massive 62 points from their bench, with a total of seven players in double figures. The outburst was so widespread that even though the starting backcourt was limited — Jaden Bradley didn’t score a single point and Caleb Love shot 3 for 12 — the Wildcats still hit the century mark. Reserve wing Anthony Dell’Orso led the Wildcats in scoring with 19 points while making 3 of 4 3-pointers. As a team, UA (4-4) shot 50% overall and 37.5% from 3-point range while stifling the Thunderbirds on the other end of the floor: Arizona held Southern Utah to just 41% shooting and scored 28 points off 18 SUU turnovers. Wildcats guard Anthony Dell’Orso (3) drives the ball to the net against Thunderbirds guard Duncan Reid (23) during the first half at McKale Center, Dec. 7, 2024. Jamir Simpson led Southern Utah (8-3) with 21 points on 8-for-15 shooting, but the Thunderbirds, who normally thrive on getting to the free-throw line, couldn’t get that part of their game going. They shot just 10 free throws over the first 35 minutes and made seven of them, often unable to get into the paint because of all those turnovers. All that is why, after 10 minutes, it was never much of a game Saturday. The Wildcats led 55-23 at halftime, then by more than 30 points for most of the second half. UA went up 80-38 when Dell’Orso hit a pair of 3s within 23 seconds midway through the half. SUU pulled within 29 points with 5:34 to go, prompting Lloyd to keep in his scholarship players until two minutes remained and with UA up 101-63. Lloyd went deep into his bench, using 10 players for 10 minutes or more, while playing sophomore Conrad Martinez at point guard for 15 minutes. Martinez played only briefly in the Wildcats’ Nov. 17 game against Davidson but not in the Wildcats’ other two Battle 4 Atlantis games. Martinez wound up with five points and four assists while going without a turnover, able to help the Wildcats revive both their fast-break game and high assist-field goal ratio (with assists leading to 23 of UA’s 34 made field goals). “You’ve got to get stops, you’ve got to get rebounds, to run the ball — and we’ve got to continue to evaluate our running game,” Lloyd said. “It’s a huge part of what we do. It just hasn’t quite come as easy for this group ... “It usually starts with a ball handler and your point guard pushing and accelerating the pace of the game and finding easy opportunities. I thought Conrad came in and did a good job. Conrad ended up in some in some numbered fast-break situations, where you have a 3-on-2 or a 4-on-3 advantage, and I thought he made really good decisions.” Arizona wound up with 21 fast-break points, fueled by 13 steals and a 47-32 rebounding advantage, entertaining the McKale Center crowd of about 11,000 in a way it had not since a 102-44 laugher over Old Dominion back on Nov. 9. “As long as we defensive rebound, we run and give a maximum effort, I feel like that’s one part of” getting out on the break, said forward/center Henri Veesaar, who had 12 points and three rebounds. “This week (in practice) we had a lot of effort plays. We talked about that as a team just giving it up for everybody. If you make a run and you don’t get the ball but your teammate dunks the ball, we both could be happy for it, just as happy as if you dunk the ball.” The Wildcats appeared to have fun from the start. In the first half, Arizona held Southern Utah to just 26.7% shooting and scored 20 points off the Thunderbirds’ 13 turnovers. Love turned the ball over on the Wildcats’ first possession to start a rough first half in which he shot just 1 for 6 from the field. His turnover led to a 3-pointer from Southern Utah’s Tavi Jackson, but the Thunderbirds trailed by double digits most of the half. UA led just 20-16 with 11:24 left before Veesaar picked up fouls that sent him to the line four times over the next two minutes. He hit all four ensuing free throws and Martinez followed by hitting an open 3-pointer to give UA a 27-16 lead with 9:33 left. Wildcats forward Henri Veesaar (13) charges by Thunderbirds center Malik Lamin (32) during the game at McKale Center, Dec. 7, 2024. Southern Utah never crept within single digits the rest of the way and, ultimately, the game may have proved more about therapy than competition for the Wildcats, whose two losses at the Battle 4 Atlantis last week dropped their record below .500 for the first time in 15 years. “Great programs, good coaches, great players are going to stumble once in a while and the response is the key — learning from it and coming back stronger is the objective,” Lloyd said. “We’ve obviously been challenged early in this season, which is a good thing, and we had a good week to evaluate a lot of things. ... Even how we practice, how we talk to each other, just all our behavioral things. “It was really getting back to the nitty gritty of our culture. So all in all it was a good week.” Who: Arizona (4-4) vs. UCLA (7-1) When: 1 p.m. Where: Footprint Center, Phoenix Watch: ESPN2 Listen: 1290-AM, 107.5-FM Contact sports reporter Bruce Pascoe at bpascoe@tucson.com . On X(Twitter): @brucepascoe Respond: Write a letter to the editor | Write a guest opinion Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! ReporterREVIEW | ‘Beatles ’64’ is an authentic bundle of pure euphoria
Are you tracking your health with a device? Here’s what could happen with the dataVancouver fans will enjoy 5G network upgrades at BC PlaceKYTX Investors Have Opportunity to Lead Kyverna Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: KYTX) Securities Fraud LawsuitThe Defence Secretary has said that “proscription is not a matter for now” in relation to the UK’s ban on the group that has taken power in Syria. John Healey said that the Government’s “interest” in Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), is “that they live up to their promises to protect” rights, when he spoke to reporters after a Cobra meeting on Thursday. HTS is banned in the UK because of its past association with al Qaida, the terrorist organisation once led by Osama bin Laden. But its leader, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, cut ties with al Qaida years ago and has sought to present his group as a more moderate and inclusive organisation, leading some to suggest the group should no longer be proscribed. When asked whether the Government was considering the status of the group, Mr Healey said: “Proscription is not a matter for now. “It doesn’t stop us talking to all the parties, and our interest in HTS is that they live up to their promises to protect the rights of all individuals and all groups, to respect international law and to prevent Syria becoming a base for a fresh terrorist threat.” Mr Healey said that Thursday’s meeting was “about making sure we have, as a Government, a laser focus on the role that we can play with allies to see a stable, peaceful transition. “So that the Syrians get the government they need for the future, and the region can see the stability in the future that it also needs.” Cobra meetings are called when ministers or officials need to respond to urgent matters. Following the toppling of the Bashar Assad regime over the weekend, the UK has paused decisions on asylum applications from Syria. Thousands of Syrians have been granted asylum in the UK but, earlier this week, the Home Office said decisions on applications would be paused while events unfold in Damascus. When asked how long the system would be paused for, and whether the move was fair, Mr Healey said on Thursday: “This is early days. “It’s a measure in response to rapidly changing developments, and the most important thing for us now is that the UK plays and will continue to play a full role with allies to see a stable, peaceful, orderly transition and that requires a political process. “It requires dialogue at the heart of it, and today’s ministerial meeting, the Cobra meeting, was about making sure that we do just that.” Earlier on Thursday, G7 leaders said that they “stand with the people of Syria” and “denounce terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms”. In a statement, Sir Keir Starmer and his counterparts said: “The G7 will work with and fully support a future Syrian government that abides by those standards and results from that process.” It went on: “After decades of atrocities committed by the Assad regime, we stand with the people of Syria. We denounce terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms. “We are hopeful that anyone seeking a role in governing Syria will demonstrate a commitment to the rights of all Syrians, prevent the collapse of state institutions, work on the recovery and rehabilitation of the country, and ensure the conditions for safe and dignified voluntary return to Syria of all those who were forced to flee the country.”
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Jaylen Blakes, Maxime Raynaud and Oziyah Sellers combined for 35 points in a 47-point, first half explosion Saturday afternoon and Stanford ran away from California for an 89-81 Atlantic Coast Conference road win in Berkeley, Calif. Raynaud and Blakes finished with 20 points apiece for the Cardinal (8-2, 1-0 ACC), who won their first ever game in ACC competition. Andrej Stojakovic had a game-high 25 points and Jovan Blacksher Jr. added 14 for the Golden Bears (6-3, 0-1), who dropped their second in a row after a 6-1 start. Playing just its second true road game of the season, Stanford scored 14 of the game's first 18 points and never looked back. Raynaud and Ryan Agarwal hit 3-pointers in the run. Blakes had 14 points, Raynaud 11 and Sellers 10 in the first half, which ended with Stanford in front 47-31. Cal was still down 81-65, after two free throws by Stanford's Chisom Okpara with 3:58 remaining before making a little run. Mady Sissoko converted a three-point play and Rytis Petraitis and Joshua Ola-Joseph connected on consecutive 3-pointers in a 9-0 flurry that made it a seven-point game with still 2:13 to go. It got as close as six when Stojakovic drilled a 3-pointer with 1:21 left, but Okpara and Blakes dropped in late layups to keep the hosts at arm's length. Seven of the nine Cardinal who saw action hit at least half his field goal attempts, led by Raynaud's 8-for-15 and Blakes' 7-for-13. Stanford finished 52.6 percent as a team. Both were deadly from the 3-point line as well, with Raynaud going 4-for-6 and Blakes 2-for-4. With Sellers adding 3-for-6, the Cardinal made 11 of their 23 attempts (47.8 percent) from beyond the arc. Raynaud also found time for five blocks, while Agarwal and Aidan Cammann shared Stanford rebound honors with seven. Blakes complemented his 20 points with a team-high six assists and two blocks. The Cardinal registered 19 assists on 30 baskets, while Cal had just five on its 30 hoops. Agarwal and Okpara each also scored in double figures with 11 points. Facing his old team for the first time after transferring to Cal over the summer, Stojakovic shot 11-for-25. The Golden Bears finished at 42.3 percent overall and 38.1 percent (8 of 21) on 3-pointers. Ola-Joseph and Sissoko, who had 11 points, were the game's leading rebounders with eight apiece. -Field Level MediaMan United coach Amorim says argument between Hojlund and Diallo a 'very good sign'
DATA BREACH ALERT: Edelson Lechtzin LLP Is Investigating Claims On Behalf Of Byte Federal Inc. Customers Whose Data May Have Been CompromisedIndependent Hawke’s Bay cinemas operator Focal Point has come to the rescue of Havelock North moviegoers worried the big nights out were coming to an end with the withdrawal of Event Cinemas from the village. Event Cinemas confirmed in a short statement to Hawke’s Bay Today that its tenancy at Havelock North will cease and it will stop trading late-January 2025, but that it was “working closely with the landlord, who may have secured a new operator to continue running the cinema location”. The new arrangement has now been announced by landlord Lowmac Properties , which developed the shopping centre and twin-theatre cinema complex 21 years ago, and Matt Bell, who with wife Julie established their first cinema in Feilding in 2007. In 2012 they expanded to Hawke’s Bay, reopening a theatre which been closed by Reading Cinemas, named it Cinemas Hastings , but after refurbishment and arrival of the latest movie technology it was relaunched as Focal Point in 2014.10 notable books of 2024, from Sarah J. Maas to Melania Trump
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