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Titans keep losing as coach Brian Callahan tries to show some progress NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Brian Callahan insisted Monday he's busy preparing to coach the Tennessee Titans against the Jacksonville Jaguars, not what controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk thinks of his first season. Teresa M. Walker, The Associated Press Dec 23, 2024 11:38 AM Dec 23, 2024 12:05 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan looks up from the sideline during the first half of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Brian Callahan insisted Monday he's busy preparing to coach the Tennessee Titans against the Jacksonville Jaguars, not what controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk thinks of his first season. “It’s a bottom line business and we’ve got to show progress and we haven’t shown enough,” Callahan said. “I would like to see more and we got two more opportunities to do it." The Titans have lost four straight after a 38-30 defeat in Indianapolis , dropping the season series to their AFC South foe. They also have lost six of seven to drop to 3-12, putting the franchise two losses from matching the most in a season set in 2014 when the NFL played a 16-game schedule. Asked if he thinks he will have to make a case to keep his job when this season ends, Callahan said he has no idea. “My job is to coach the football team and get ready to go play Jacksonville,” Callahan said. “That’s the only thing that I focus on. And anything other than that, is out of my control.” What’s working The Titans played a season-high 10 rookies in Indianapolis. Even with all that youth, they were flagged only four times matching their second-lowest total of the season. That was a huge improvement from the week before when Tennessee was penalized 12 times for 110 yards. What needs help Callahan said every time they try to fix one thing, another issue pops up. Against Indianapolis, t he run defense simply disappeared . They gave up 335 yards rushing, the most in franchise history since Oct. 1, 1961. They gave up touchdown runs of 65 and 70 yards to Jonathan Taylor. A defense that entered Week 16 ranked 12th allowed Taylor to average 7.5 yards per carry and meant Anthony Richardson needed to throw just 11 passes. The Titans gave up 38 consecutive points — the third most allowed in a game all season just a week after giving up 37 in a loss to Cincinnati. Stock up TE Chig Okonkwo. He led the Titans with nine catches and 81 yards receiving — both career highs. He also scored his the second 2-point conversion of his career. He became the first tight end with nine or more receptions in a game since Delanie Walker had nine Nov. 13, 2016, against Green Bay. Stock down Mason Rudolph. Callahan defended the veteran's three interceptions with one going off running back Tony Pollard's hands and the third a last-gasp play to end the game and said he thought Rudolph had a good performance. That said, Rudolph's numbers are almost a mirror image of the quarterback he replaced. Rudolph has eight touchdown passes and eight interceptions. He's completing 63.8% of his passes and has a 78.8 passer rating. That's nearly the same as Will Levis completing 63.7% of his passes with 12 TD passes and 12 interceptions. Callahan said turnovers from the quarterback spot has sort of been “our Achilles' heel” swinging games. But he also hasn't made a decision yet on who starts Sunday, saying stats don't always paint the full picture. “My goal is to try to put the best chance to win on the field for us and we’ll see what that looks like,” Callahan said. Injuries Callahan said K Nick Folk might have a chance to be back after an abdominal injury sidelined the veteran in Indianapolis. The Titans are practicing with a walk-through Tuesday and taking Wednesday off for Christmas so the coach said he'll have a better handle on injuries Thursday. Folk's replacement Brayden Narveson missed a 53-yard field goal that would have given Tennessee a 10-0 lead. Folk is 21 of 22 on field goals this season. Key num ber 121 — Number of points allowed off turnovers this season. It's the most in a season for the Titans since at least 2000, topping the 108 given up in 2015. The Titans lead the NFL with 32 turnovers, which Callahan called their biggest issue. “That’s insanity,” Callahan said. Next steps The Titans visit Jacksonville on Sunday for their final road trip, trying to avoid being swept by their division rival. Then it's back home for the regular-season finale, hosting Houston before more changes this offseason in some form. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Teresa M. Walker, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Football (NFL) There's no defending Jaguars GM Trent Baalke, especially amid his latest free-agent class Dec 23, 2024 12:15 PM Texans WR Tank Dell out for season after dislocating knee, tearing ACL Dec 23, 2024 12:09 PM Commanders keep playing wild and wacky games. They've gotten better at winning them Dec 23, 2024 11:19 AM
EPL: Alan Shearer predict Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal Boxing Day fixtures
Banque Cantonale Vaudoise cut its holdings in shares of Cabot Co. ( NYSE:CBT – Free Report ) by 35.0% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 573 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after selling 309 shares during the quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise’s holdings in Cabot were worth $64,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Cabot in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. CWM LLC raised its holdings in Cabot by 60.6% in the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 416 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 157 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in Cabot by 53.9% in the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 371 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its position in Cabot by 197.9% during the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 417 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 277 shares during the period. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Cabot by 33.4% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 475 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $48,000 after buying an additional 119 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.18% of the company’s stock. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Mizuho lifted their price target on shares of Cabot from $103.00 to $122.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded Cabot from a “neutral” rating to an “underweight” rating and set a $105.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Monday, November 11th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price objective on Cabot from $103.00 to $98.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Cabot presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $105.00. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Cabot news, CEO Sean D. Keohane sold 25,617 shares of Cabot stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $101.55, for a total value of $2,601,406.35. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 331,174 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $33,630,719.70. The trade was a 7.18 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink . Also, EVP Jeff Ji Zhu sold 1,201 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.19, for a total value of $127,534.19. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 96,000 shares in the company, valued at $10,194,240. The trade was a 1.24 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . In the last 90 days, insiders sold 93,398 shares of company stock valued at $10,188,968. 3.07% of the stock is owned by insiders. Cabot Trading Up 1.6 % Shares of NYSE CBT opened at $110.36 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $110.81 and its 200-day moving average price is $102.67. Cabot Co. has a 52-week low of $70.63 and a 52-week high of $117.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a current ratio of 2.08. The company has a market cap of $6.00 billion, a PE ratio of 16.37, a P/E/G ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 1.20. Cabot ( NYSE:CBT – Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 4th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.81 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $1 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.01 billion. Cabot had a net margin of 9.51% and a return on equity of 26.60%. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.65 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that Cabot Co. will post 7.67 EPS for the current fiscal year. Cabot Dividend Announcement The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 13th. Investors of record on Friday, November 29th will be issued a $0.43 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 29th. This represents a $1.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.56%. Cabot’s payout ratio is 25.52%. Cabot Profile ( Free Report ) Cabot Corporation operates as a specialty chemicals and performance materials company. The company operates through two segments, Reinforcement Materials and Performance Chemicals. It offers reinforcing carbons that are used in tires as a rubber reinforcing agent and performance additive, as well as in industrial products, such as hoses, belts, extruded profiles, and molded goods; and engineered elastomer composites solutions. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CBT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Cabot Co. ( NYSE:CBT – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Cabot Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cabot and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
Apart from the landslide victory in the 2024 assembly polls, the big win in the Vidarbha region is the icing on the cake for Mahayuti comprising the BJP, Shinde Sena and the NCP (Ajit Pawar). The remarkable tally of 49 out of 62 seats in Vidarbha has surely given the alliance something more to cheer about. The BJP has bagged 38 seats, a good improvement from the 29 it won in the last elections. The results have come as a huge surprise for poll pundits of every hue as the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which was expecting a clean sweep in Vidarbha, had to bite dust. Top leaders of the grand old party and Uddhav Sena have tumbled, while the NCP (SP) has been totally wiped out. At least in 35 of the 62 seats in this region, the BJP and the Congress were in one-on-one fights. Once again it has been proved that in direct contests the BJP gets the better of the Congress. However, the latter's state president and aspiring chief minister, Nana Patole, was saved from embarrassment in the Sakoli constituency and won by 208 votes against the BJP's Avinash Brahmankar. Among other stalwarts who lost badly are former state Congress chief Manikrao Thakre from the Digras seat in Yavatmal, who was defeated by Sanjy Rathod of Shinde Sena. In the Teosa constituency of the Amravati district, Yashomati Thakur, believed to be a core member of team Rahul Gandhi, also lost. In the final tally of Vidarbha, the BJP got 38 seats, Congress nine, Shinde Sena four, NCP (Ajit) six and Sena (UBT) four. MVA was on cloud nine as it had hoped to repeat its Lok Saha elections performance when it had won seven seats out of total 10 segments in Vidarbha, while Mahayuti was victorious in the remaining three. The BJP could win only two seats : Nagpur (Nitin Gadkari) and Akola (Anup Dhotre), while Shinde Sena's Pratapsinh Jadhav had bagged the Buldhana seat. In a surprising turn, the NCP (SP), which had secured one Lok Sabha seat (Wardha) from the region in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, failed to win any assembly segments since its inception in 1999. In the just-concluded polls, the NCP (SP) had fielded candidates in three constituencies within Nagpur district alone – Hingna, Nagpur East and Katol. The assault drama staged by former minister Anil Deshmukh to get sympathy for his son, Salil, proved to be a damp squib as the latter was defeated by BJP's Charansinh Thakur with a comfortable margin. The 2014 assembly elections were also notable for the fact that all four major parties contested independently, allowing each to fully test its strength. Back then, the BJP won 44 seats, which helped Devendra Fadnavis to head the BJP-Sena government and successfully complete a full term as the CM. However, in 2019, the BJP's tally dipped to 29 seats in Vidarbha, which weakened its bargaining power in the pre-poll alliance with the undivided Sena. The loss of 15 seats diminished the party's leverage, ultimately leading to the collapse of the alliance over disagreements regarding the CM's post. Historically, Vidarbha has been the Congress' bastion, which maintained a significant influence over the region for four decades till 1990. However, after that the BJP made deep inroads in the region and dominates its political landscape now. Following the debacle in these polls, the Congress has been completely wiped out from the Gondia, Bhandara, Amravati, Buldhana districts. Among the notable winners in this election is Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, who secured his sixth term by defeating his Congress rival, Praful Gudadhe-Patil, in Nagpur South-West, with a margin exceeding 30,000 votes. Similarly, state BJP Chief Chandrasekhar Bawankule successfully retained the Kamptee seat. He was denied a ticket in the 2019 elections when the BJP fielded rural leader Tekchand Savarkar, who drove to victory. In the Aheri constituency, NCP candidate Dharmababa Atram triumphed over his nearest rival, Bhagyashree Atram, who is his daughter and contested as an NCP (SP) nominee in a triangular contest. Former minister, Ambarish Atram, who was denied a ticket this time, ran as a rebel from the same constituency. Assembly Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar managed to retain his Brahmapuri seat by a narrow margin. RSS watcher Dilip Deodhar said that the cohesive BJP campaign – led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and very well-managed by Fadnavis – could exceed expectations because of the major role of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Not only the RSS cadres fanned out across the region for campaigns, but Sangh got a valid reason to polarise voters. The Hindu vote consolidation was done successfully, thanks to Islamic scholar Moulana Sajjad Nomani's direct call (fatwa) to defeat all Mahayuti candidates. The Ulema Council's ill-timed letter to the Congress leadership, raising 17 demands that the party accepted, also proved counter-productive. Rahul Gandhi's call for caste census was also seen as an attempt to divide people, while Modi's loud and clear call of “Ek hai toh safe hai” won the day for the BJP.Cord cutting used to refer to abandoning pay TV and putting up an antenna to watch free over-the-air TV.
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COLUMBIA, South Carolina (AP) — Victims' families and others affected by crimes that resulted in federal death row convictions shared a range of emotions on Monday, from relief to anger, after President Joe Biden commuted dozens of the sentences . Biden converted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The inmates include people who were convicted in the slayings of police, military officers and federal prisoners and guards. Others were involved in deadly robberies and drug deals. Three inmates will remain on federal death row: Dylann Roof , convicted of the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; the 2013 Boston Marathon Bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev , and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of life Synagogue in 2018 , the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history. Opponents of the death penalty lauded Biden for a decision they'd long sought. Supporters of Donald Trump , a vocal advocate of expanding capital punishment, criticized the move as an assault to common decency just weeks before the president-elect takes office. Donnie Oliverio, a retired Ohio police officer whose partner was killed by an inmate whose death sentence was commuted, said the execution of “the person who killed my police partner and best friend would have brought me no peace.” “The president has done what is right here,” Oliverio said in a statement also issued by the White House, “and what is consistent with the faith he and I share.” Heather Turner, whose mother, Donna Major, was killed in a bank robbery in South Carolina in 2017, called Biden's commutation of the killer's sentence a “clear gross abuse of power” in a Facebook post, adding that the weeks she spent in court with the hope of justice were now “just a waste of time.” “At no point did the president consider the victims,” Turner wrote. “He, and his supporters, have blood on their hands.” There has always been a broad range of opinions on what punishment Roof should face from the families of the nine people killed and the survivors of the massacre at the Mother Emanuel AME Church. Many forgave him, but some say they can’t forget and their forgiveness doesn’t mean they don’t want to see him put to death for what he did. Felicia Sanders survived the shooting shielding her granddaughter while watching Roof kill her son, Tywanza, and her aunt, Susie Jackson. Sanders brought her bullet-torn bloodstained Bible to his sentencing and said then she can’t even close her eyes to pray because Roof started firing during the closing prayer of Bible study that night. In a text message to her lawyer, Andy Savage, Sanders called Biden’s decision to not spare Roof’s life a wonderful Christmas gift. Michael Graham, whose sister, Cynthia Hurd, was killed, told The Associated Press that Roof’s lack of remorse and simmering white nationalism in the country means he is the kind of dangerous and evil person the death penalty is intended for. “This was a crime against a race of people," Graham said. “It didn’t matter who was there, only that they were Black.” But the Rev. Sharon Richer, who was Tywanza Sanders’ cousin and whose mother, Ethel Lance, was killed, criticized Biden for not sparing Roof and clearing out all of death row. She said every time Roof’s case comes up through numerous appeals it is like reliving the massacre all over again. “I need the President to understand that when you put a killer on death row, you also put their victims' families in limbo with the false promise that we must wait until there is an execution before we can begin to heal,” Richer said in a statement. Richer, a board member of Death Penalty Action, which seeks to abolish capital punishment, was driven to tears by conflicting emotions during a Zoom news conference Monday. “The families are left to be hostages for the years and years of appeals that are to come,” Richer said. “I’ve got to stay away from the news today. I’ve got to turn the TV off — because whose face am I going to see?” Biden is giving more attention to the three inmates he chose not to spare, something they all wanted as a part of what drove them to kill, said Abraham Bonowitz, Death Penalty Action’s executive director. “These three racists and terrorists who have been left on death row came to their crimes from political motivations. When Donald Trump gets to execute them what will really be happening is they will be given a global platform for their agenda of hatred,” Bonowitz said. Biden had faced pressure from advocacy organizations to commute federal death sentences, and several praised him for taking action in his final month in office. Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the ACLU, said in a statement that Biden “has shown our country — and the rest of the world — that the brutal and inhumane policies of our past do not belong in our future.” Republicans, including Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, on the other hand, criticized the move — and argued its moral ground was shaky given the three exceptions. “Once again, Democrats side with depraved criminals over their victims, public order, and common decency,” Cotton wrote on X. “Democrats can’t even defend Biden’s outrageous decision as some kind of principled, across-the-board opposition to the death penalty since he didn’t commute the three most politically toxic cases.” Liz Murrill, Louisiana's Republican attorney general, criticized the commuted sentence of Len Davis, a former New Orleans policeman convicted of orchestrating the killing of a woman who had filed a complaint against him. “We can’t trust the Feds to get justice for victims of heinous crimes, so it’s long past time for the state to get it done,” the tough-on-crime Republican said in a written statement to the AP. Two men whose sentences were commuted were Norris Holder and Billie Jerome Allen, on death row for opening fire with assault rifles during a 1997 bank robbery in St. Louis, killing a guard, 46-year-old Richard Heflin. Holder’s attorney, Madeline Cohen, said in an email that Holder, who is Black, was sentenced to death by an all-white jury. She said his case “reflects many of the system’s flaws,” and thanked Biden for commuting his sentence. “Norris’ case exemplifies the racial bias and arbitrariness that led the President to commute federal death sentences,” Cohen said. “Norris has always been deeply remorseful for the pain his actions caused, and we hope this decision brings some measure of closure to Richard Heflin’s family.” Swenson reported from Seattle. Associated Press writers Jim Salter in O'Fallon, Missouri, and Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, contributed to this report.Batch Control Meter Market Driven by Demand for Immersive Technologies Across Industries
With power comes responsibility. With the new swearing-in of the new ministers, new blood is infused to the Government. However, public sector officials and their thinking patterns at the grassroot levels have not changed. With an inactive, inefficient public sector, can a government run a country and lead it to the utopia that we all think of? Let’s dive into this more deeply and see the depth of the problem. The public sector accounts for 15% of total employment (i.e. approximately 1.5 m public sector employees) and 35% of formal employment of Sri Lanka. It consumes 26% of public expenditure and 5% of GDP. The public sector consists of businesses that are owned and controlled by the Government or country. It is made of government ministries, departments, local authorities, provincial councils, and state-owned enterprises (SEOs). It is also responsible for providing the public with goods and services such as healthcare, education, police and military. The public sector’s main aim is to look after the welfare of the general public in the country. The capital for the public sector comes from various taxes, excise and other duties, bonds and treasury bills. Collaboration, leadership, transparency, accountability, efficiency, ownership, technology and equity are characteristics of a good public sector in providing goods and services to the public. In Sri Lanka, it is sad to observe that the public sector is a white elephant. It is inefficient, inactive, unimaginative, and lacks innovation. Even though there are some entities which are relatively efficient, overall, Sri Lanka’s public sector is inefficient. Public sector officials are lethargic and not accountable nor transparent. Getting things done in the public sector for the common man is next to impossible. Though there are divisions for planning, development, and monitoring, they do not work cohesively together. One reason for this is that there is no performance appraisal system in the public sector. Promotions are given on seniority whether the officials are efficient or not which is a key characteristic that differs from the private sector. Project proposals, and financial planning are not done efficiently and meaningfully as they are not properly trained or mentored. Sometimes, senior officials will not take the opportunity to teach and train the junior levels to execute these pivotal assignments. Public sector jobs are stable, with low risk of termination due to non-performance. As a result, complacency has set in the public sector. The preconceived notion of the employee is that their job is secured irrespective of the performance of a given task. Most public sector organisations exist to serve the public interest and not to make a profit. This also has led to the inefficiency of the public sector in Sri Lanka. Why? Because no targets are set quantitatively or qualitatively in most of the public sector entities, and even if there are set targets, insufficient attention is given to achieving them. On the other hand, public aspirations are high. They want an efficient public sector that will not make them go in circles, sending them from one floor to another and from one table to another, especially in local departments. Senior citizens find it difficult to live their life in the last stages of their lives because of this. Switzerland is the country with the highest public sector performance and efficiency according to a study conducted by the European Central Bank’s working paper on “Public Sector: Efficiency and International Comparison”. Singapore has come out as one of the top in a ranking which tracks the effectiveness of the governments around the world edging out Finland. Australia, UK, Sweden, and Finland are some of the other countries that score high. Some of the fine Sri Lankan examples for an efficient and effective public service are immigration department and the registrar of persons department. Even though their operations have become fast and efficient post-digitisation, lately there were issues with these two departments as well. Sri Lanka’s public sector should undergo a conceptual revolution to become the highly efficient service expected by the public. Accountability, transparency, efficiency, should go down to the grassroot level commencing from the new ministerial portfolios. The new entrants to the public sector should be properly trained and mentored to do an efficient job by the experienced seniors which will not be a difficult task considering the intelligent youth of today. Another way to make it more efficient is to digitise the operations of the public sector. Implementation of incentive schemes to motivate the public sector employees is of paramount importance in this endeavour leading to the reduction of bribery and/or corruption. A paradigm shift is needed in the public sector as with the system change which Sri Lanka has implemented very bravely at present. (The writer is a PR Consultant and a graduate of the University of Kelaniya.)
Women’s safety focus of Chitra Santhe in Bengaluru on Jan 5
, the 39th , died Sunday at the age of 100 after years of ill health. Though served just one term in the between 1977 and 1981, the -born Democrat left a legacy far beyond his political accomplishments; once his presidency ended, Carter devoted his time to the nonprofit and achieving humanitarian objectives over his 40-plus years post-presidency. Carter also traveled widely on diplomatic missions around the globe, establishing acquaintances and connections with leaders worldwide. His death in his native prompted an outpouring of tributes -- including from the head of the . Charles saddened by Carter's passing In a letter penned to , wrote of his "great sadness" over Carter's death, making sure to highlight . "It was with great sadness that I learned of the death of ," wrote. "He was a committed public servant, and devoted his life to promoting peace and human rights. His dedication and humility served as an inspiration to many, and . My thoughts and prayers are with President Carter's family and the American people at this time." Charles' tribute comes amid that has sparked concern around the world over the stability of the British monarchy. The 76-year-old king has battled throughout 2024, and he has tried to balance his royal duties with his treatment -- to from the public. Charles' daughter-in-law, , endured her own cancer battle this year and only recently resumed her royal responsibilities.
AP Trending SummaryBrief at 6:46 p.m. EST
Taytay, Rizal Vice Mayor Sophia "Pia" Cabral wanted to become a doctor, but God has other plans for her — and that's to serve other people through public service. She now feels that her calling and the desire to help people have converged. Cabral, in an interview on DAILY TRIBUNE's digital show Straight Talk over the weekend, said that she never thought about ending up in public service despite being the chairperson of the Sangguniang Kabataan at 15 and a councilor at 18. "I started in 2010 as SK (Sangguniang Kabataan) chairman in our barangay," the 29-year-old vice mayor recalled. "My priority or goal is to become a doctor, not to go into politics full-time," she added. Cabral took examinations from several universities for pre-med courses but her parents convinced her to enter the University of the Philippines (UP) after passing the College Admission Test but for a different course. "My parents urged me to try UP since I am an SK chairman which made me eligible to become a scholar in a public or state university," Cabral said. "The family subjected it to a vote and UP was the pick of the majority but I was then intent on pursuing a medical degree, so I cried. What will I do at UP studying another course?" she added. Cabral said she took up an associate degree program at the University of the Philippines Open University and later she took up public administration. "I prayed that if public service is my destiny and I would not be a doctor, I would still be able to help people with their health needs through endorsement, which I am now providing through medical assistance programs of the Department of Social Welfare and Development or the Department of Health," she said. Passion, fulfillment "So, there is a sense of fulfillment. So, I'm very passionate about what I am doing now," the talented politician added. Cabral said she enjoys serving other people, particularly her fellow Taytayeños. She said that pandering to her sense of empathy gives her satisfaction as a Vice Mayor. "Sometimes there is a lot of stress in my work but the relief that comes after, seeing tears of joy from people who received assistance encourages me to go on," she said. Cabral said that sometimes she is mistaken for being snobbish because of her natural attribute of having a thick eyebrow. “Sometimes there are certain angles when people look at me and think that I’m actually glaring at them. Thus, I always look in the mirror to give my best impression to other people. There should always be a smile that other people can see,” Cabral mused. During her first term as municipal councilor, Cabral said that she amended the ordinances on scholarship. "We included financial assistance not only for bright students but also the needy. We wanted to help those who depend on the government for education. What happens when they fail to meet academic requirements, should they be forced to discontinue their education?" she asked. She said that the ordinance on free education now states that once students are accepted as scholars, the local government must support them until they graduate. She also shared that Taytay now has a sports complex built on 13 hectares lot that was once a dump site. "Before the end of my term as a councilor, it was very timely that I was able to talk to President Duterte and then I asked for government’s help for Taytay to have a sports facility within 13 hectares of a former dump site," she said. Sports complex on a dump site "I came up with a resolution to convert the vacant lot to a sports complex. And then I eventually told Senator Bong Go and I even went to Davao City to hand over the proposal. I told myself then that it was a long shot, and many had ridiculed the proposal of a sports complex inside a dump site. Many have said that it will not happen," she added. She said a lot of work then followed. It was a huge site development. "The place needed to be rebuilt and chemicals will have to be applied to remove the foul smell." She said the first phase of the sports was completed, with a track and field oval. "We are opening the Palarong Panlalawigan. Before, we have to go to the nearby Marikina Sports Complex for our activities," she said. The sports complex was funded by the national government during the Duterte administration, Cabral said. "It's a project from the national government that was directly allotted to Taytay. No funds were shelled out from the local government. So, it's a blessing po for us," she said. "Next project hopefully would be a coliseum so that indoor sports like basketball and volleyball can be held there," the vice mayor added. Cabral is proud to help Taytay maintain its distinction as the garment capital of the Philippines. Cabral said that many investors, including Chinese, have been putting up textile warehouses and factories in the town. "All textiles now come from Taytay. Before, it was in Manila where these are sourced. When businesses require ready-to-wear clothes (RTWs), textiles and garments, they all go to Taytay," she said. Cabral added that the town's tiangge business boomed before the pandemic and provided jobs for local residents. "Well, before the pandemic the garments industry was booming. But we have this challenge every Christmas season when illegal vendors and used clothing converge in Taytay. So, those are our competitions," she said. "It's not allowed, but it depends on the local chief executive on the implementation as those people are hard to control," the vice mayor added. Cabral said that the tiangge business in their town was so strong before the pandemic. "Before the pandemic, the tiangge was so strong. With this challenge every Christmas season, vendors compete with ukay-ukay hawkers who are the real rival of the local textile industry," she said. "It's not allowed, but it depends on the local chief executive regarding the implementation of the ban since at times, they can't control those people who suddenly appear," the vice mayor added. Cabral said that the municipal council has passed resolutions or ordinances to prevent this and to help the local textile industry. Cabral also shared that there were clamors for her to run for a higher position in the 2025 local and national elections, instead, she just focused on her job as a vice mayor. Cabral said that traffic and flooding are two big problems that badly affect the local economy but help is on the way as the youthful energy of the official is boundless.