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how to withdraw in mnl777 WITH the Christmas party season in full swing, smelling sweet is a top priority. More than a third of us have popped perfume on our Christmas wish list, but with some designer brands costing upwards of £100, some fragrances are well out of reach for many of us. So could budget perfume dupes be the answer? With a huge range available on the high street for a fraction of the price of top brands, Fab put some of the most affordable alternatives to the test. But how did they fare when it came to long-lasting wear? And do they really smell just like the designer originals they are emulating? READ MORE DUPE TESTS Emma Lazenby sniffs out the best dupes, revealing which ones are worth splashing out on and giving them all a mark out of five. Midnight Blossom 30ml, M&S, £6 vs Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium 30ml, £79 SAVING: £73 IF there was ever a winter evening fragrance that’s as warm as it is luxurious, then I think M&S ’s Midnight Blossom is up there. It’s perfect for the party season and smells remarkably like YSL’s Black Opium. With its musky, velvety notes and subtle floral undertones, it holds its weight against its designer rival. Most read in Fabulous The simple purple packaging is cute, giving Parma violet vibes, but as it looks quite basic, I’d put it in the stocking-filler category, rather than the main gift. Having said that, Midnight Blossom is possibly the perfect perfume present to yourself. Granted, Black Opium was still bold after eight hours of wear. But M&S’s winter fragrance wasn’t far off. My wrist was still smelling lovely – if a little faint – well into the afternoon. 5/5 Suddenly Femelle 75ml, Lidl, £5.25 vs Lancome La Vie Est Belle 75ml, £105 SAVING: £99.75 LIDL ’S Suddenly Femelle fragrance bears a striking resemblance to the vanilla, iris and patchouli notes of Lancome’s La Vie Est Belle. It’s a warm scent and looks very expensive with its apothecary-style bottle and pretty pink packaging. One of the cheapest of the bunch, it packs a surprising punch. If you’re after a cosy, winter fragrance, Suddenly Femelle could be the perfect choice for you. It has a whiff of maturity about it, adding to its classic fragrance feel, but if long-lasting wear is one of your perfume priorities, sadly it falls short. There were still subtle hints after three hours, but it’s another dupe that’ll need regular respraying. That said, it’s a great fragrance that’d make a lovely gift for older friends and relatives. 3/5 Lacura Radiant Majesty 100ml, Aldi, £6.99 vs Burberry Goddess 100ml, £135 SAVING: £128.01 ALDI ’S Lacura perfume offerings are on fire this year, earning rave reviews for their designer dupes. Its Burberry Goddess copycat certainly looks expensive. Its pretty pink and gold packaging and sturdy glass bottle would look classy on any dressing table. It’s slightly sweeter than the Burberry original, with notes of vanilla, ginger, cacao and lavender, but this is the only notable difference when you spritz both scents. It smells unbelievably similar, with some TikTok fragrance fans even saying they prefer Radiant Majesty to the £135-a bottle real deal. But in our “length of wear” test, Aldi’s offering unfortunately falls short, with barely a whiff remaining after just three and a half hours. In contrast, Burberry Goddess was still smelling bold at 10pm after a 9am spritz. But with a £128 price difference, it’s cheaper to top up through the day with Aldi’s dupe. 3/5 Lacura Floral Love 100ml, Aldi, £5.99 vs Viktor & Rolf’s Flowerbomb 100ml, £130 SAVING: £124.01 THIS Aldi fragrance boasts a gorgeous, diamond-inspired bottle, which you’d be proud to pop in your handbag. It looks expensive and just as pretty as the designer original. Scent-wise it smells very similar to Viktor & Rolf’s Flowerbomb. I’d say Aldi’s Floral Love is a little heavier, so I had high hopes for its longevity. Sadly, the spritz on my wrist didn’t hold its fragrance weight for long and was fading fast after three hours. But with its bargain price tag, beautiful bottle and floral gorgeousness, I think we can forgive its lack of staying power . 4/5 Cashmere 30ml, Next, £10 vs Estee Lauder Sensuous 30ml, £35 SAVING: £25 WITH the smallest price difference between dupe and designer, let’s not do Next ’s Cashmere a disservice. Its resemblance to Estee Lauder’s classic is pretty damn good. And if you like a softer, subtle fragrance that you can wear all year round, then Next’s Cashmere is the perfect perfume. It is floral, yet woody, and could be a great gift for someone who’s not a “perfume person”. And as for longevity, four hours later, it was holding on – just. Although Estee Lauder’s Sensuous was smelling strong after ten hours, weighing up the similarity of both, I’m not sure it’s worth the extra cost. 4/5 Red Temptation 30ml, Zara, £12.99 vs Baccarat Rouge 540 35ml, £155 SAVING: £142.01 MOVING on to the slightly higher end high street perfumes , Zara’s Red Temptation is tricky to get hold of right now (more stock is arriving soon) and for good reason. It has a cult following on social media due to its remarkable similarity to Baccarat Rouge 540. Red Temptation is just as heady as its very pricey designer counterpart, with its spicy combination of saffron, bitter orange and coriander. It’s a classic scent that’s not for the faint-hearted, but if you like punchy “occasion” perfumes, this is the one for you. It’s also one of the strongest contenders when it comes to its length-of-wear. While the Baccarat Rouge 540 lasted a whole day, Red Temptation was still holding its own after five hours. And the price difference is staggering. 5/5 Wonder Rose 30ml, Zara, £9.99 vs Dior J’Adore 35ml, £115 SAVING: £105.01 WE can all channel our inner Rihanna with Zara’s Wonder Rose, which smells very similar to the superstar-fronted Dior classic, albeit not as weighty. It’s a huge hit with the teens and rightly so. It’s wonderfully floral, but manages to be quite light, too – meaning we’re not venturing into headache territory. Wonder Rose combines fruitiness with flowers, coconut and vanilla. It’s lovely. And it definitely works for the festive period. With its mid-level price tag and cool packaging, it would make a great gift. Yes, we see a pattern emerging when it comes to length-of-wear, with Dior’s J’Adore lasting in excess of nine hours. But, Zara’s offering is pretty strong and I could still smell it after more than four hours. With the saving against its designer equivalent, it is pretty impressive. READ MORE SUN STORIES 4.5/5 WE can all channel our inner Rihanna with Zara’s Wonder Rose, which smells very similar to the superstar-fronted Dior classic, albeit not as weighty. It’s a huge hit with the teens and rightly so. It’s wonderfully floral, but manages to be quite light, too – meaning we’re not venturing into headache territory. Wonder Rose combines fruitiness with flowers, coconut and vanilla. It’s lovely. And it definitely works for the festive period. With its mid-level price tag and cool packaging, it would make a great gift. Yes, we see a pattern emerging when it comes to length-of-wear, with Dior’s J’Adore lasting in excess of nine hours. But, Zara’s offering is pretty strong and I could still smell it after more than four hours. With the saving against its designer equivalent, it is pretty impressive.

Thousands of pro-Europe protesters rallied Sunday in Georgia against the government's decision to shelve European Union accession talks, marking the 11th consecutive day of demonstrations amid a post-election crisis. The country's pro-Western opposition and the president rejected the ruling Georgian Dream party's claimed victory in October 26 parliamentary polls and tens of thousands had taken to the streets against alleged electoral fraud. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze's shock decision last week that EU-candidate Tbilisi will not seek the opening of accession talks triggered a fresh wave of protests, which met with a tough police response.Only about 2 in 10 Americans approve of Biden's pardon of his son Hunter, poll finds

Regal Rexnord Co. ( NYSE:RRX – Get Free Report ) announced a quarterly dividend on Thursday, October 24th, Zacks Dividends reports. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be given a dividend of 0.35 per share on Tuesday, January 14th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.89%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. Regal Rexnord has raised its dividend payment by an average of 5.3% per year over the last three years and has raised its dividend annually for the last 19 consecutive years. Regal Rexnord has a payout ratio of 13.3% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Analysts expect Regal Rexnord to earn $10.40 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.40 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 13.5%. Regal Rexnord Price Performance Shares of NYSE:RRX opened at $156.50 on Friday. Regal Rexnord has a one year low of $130.94 and a one year high of $185.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 2.45 and a quick ratio of 1.35. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $169.11 and its 200-day moving average price is $159.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.37, a PEG ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.03. Insider Activity at Regal Rexnord In other news, CEO Louis V. Pinkham sold 8,774 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.03, for a total value of $1,579,583.22. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 149,618 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,935,728.54. This represents a 5.54 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link . 0.82% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. StockNews.com raised Regal Rexnord from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Regal Rexnord from $190.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. Loop Capital reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $200.00 price target on shares of Regal Rexnord in a research report on Thursday, September 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Regal Rexnord from $191.00 to $213.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on Regal Rexnord from $223.00 to $208.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Regal Rexnord currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $205.13. Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Regal Rexnord About Regal Rexnord ( Get Free Report ) Regal Rexnord Corporation manufactures and sells industrial powertrain solutions, power transmission components, electric motors and electronic controls, air moving products, and specialty electrical components and systems worldwide. The Industrial Powertrain Solutions segment provides mounted and unmounted bearings, couplings, mechanical power transmission drives and components, gearboxes, gear motors, clutches, brakes, special, and industrial powertrain components and solutions for food and beverage, bulk material handling, eCommerce/warehouse distribution, energy, mining, marine, agricultural machinery, turf and garden, and general industrial markets. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Regal Rexnord Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Regal Rexnord and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

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Garrett Wilson, the wide receiver for the New York Jets , has had his fair share of losses in his three seasons with the team . With 10 losses in his rookie year, another 10 last year, and a current count of 10 this season, the losing streak seems to be a constant. The most recent loss was on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins , where the Jets held a late lead but ultimately lost the game. "When you’re up in the fourth quarter, all of a sudden it starts to feel like you have a losing problem," Wilson said after the 32-26 overtime loss. "You have a gene or some (thing)." The Jets' fans are understandably frustrated as the team (3-10) has missed the postseason for 14 straight years, marking the longest active drought in the NFL . This unfortunate record also surpasses any franchise in the NBA, WNBA, NHL or MLB. Saints facing Derek Carr decision as Spencer Rattler sees starting QB chance emerge Saquon Barkley faces tough MVP reality as Eagles RB inches closer to record "Losing hurts in general," right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker said Monday. "So when you stack up those L's, that's obviously not where anybody in this building wants to be. That's not anybody's standard at all." The Jets are setting some unwanted records. They have lost a franchise-worst five games in which they held a fourth-quarter lead, and they've done it in three straight games. Thet now has nine consecutive losing seasons, which is also the longest active skid in the NFL. Despite Aaron Rodgers delivering what interim coach Jeff Ulbrich called his "best performance of the season", the Jets couldn't savor the moment. The 41-year-old quarterback ended a 34-game regular-season streak without 300 passing yards by throwing for 339 yards and a touchdown to Davante Adams. Yet it wasn't enough to secure victory due to costly errors from the defense and special teams, especially when holding a late lead. "I wouldn’t say more frustrating, but probably equally frustrating," Ulbrich expressed about the defeat. “There has been, in my opinion, seven games that have come down to the end of the game and have been within one score and we didn’t get it done, and for a lot of different reasons when you look at the span of that seven games. But we haven’t been good enough in those moments, and we need to be.” Despite expectations, the Jets' aerial offense with Rodgers hadn't been as dynamic until recently, possibly aided by Rodgers overcoming leg injuries. His 300-yard performance against Miami showcased a vintage four-time MVP, leading the Jets to their best total yardage of the season. "I thought he did a very good job, and obviously the statistics would support that," Ulbrich said. "He had an excellent day. I thought the offense had probably their best performance of the year." Want to watch more live sports? Peacock has your favorite sports, shows, and more all in one place. Peacock offers plans starting at $7.99 so you can stream live sports like NFL, Premier League, and Big Ten Football.Blinken hails 'hope' for Syrians after Assad's fall; UN meet on Syria expected tomorrow

Quarterback Mark Gronowski, who won two FCS national titles at South Dakota State, is entering the transfer portal but also keeping his eyes on his NFL draft potential, he told ESPN. In four seasons with the Jackrabbits, he played in 55 games, posting a 49-6 record as a starter. He has one year of eligibility available and is expected to be contacted by several power-conference programs. "I'm trying to weigh all my options to do what's best for me and my career," Gronowski told ESPN on Sunday. "I'm confident in what I can do in the NFL. If there's opportunities that help my family, I'll change my mind. It's doing what's best for me and my long-term interest overall." A native of Illinois, Gronowski led South Dakota State to FCS titles in back-to-back titles in 2022-23. The Jackrabbits lost 28-21 to North Dakota State in the FCS semifinals on Dec. 21. In 2023, he won the Walter Payton Award, which honors the top FCS offensive player. In his career, Gronowski has completed 64 percent of his passes for 10,309 yards and 93 touchdowns against 20 interceptions. On the ground, he ran for 1,767 yards and 37 touchdowns. --Field Level MediaWILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Attorneys for Meta shareholders asked a Delaware judge Monday to sanction the company's former Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg and fellow Facebook board member and current White House chief of staff Jeff Zients for deleting emails related to the Cambridge Analytica privacy scandal , despite being told to preserve such records. The plaintiff attorneys contend that Sandberg and Zients used personal email accounts to communicate about key issues relating to their 2018 shareholder lawsuit that alleged Facebook officers and directors violated both the law and their fiduciary duties in failing for years to protect the privacy of user data. “Although Sandberg and Zients received a litigation hold requiring them to preserve documents from these accounts, they both knowingly and permanently destroyed electronically stored information from such sources,” attorneys said in a court filing. The plaintiffs say the former board members were either “reckless or intentional” in destroying documents, noting that Sandberg deleted communications to and from her Gmail account after only 30 days, even after being notified of the “litigation hold” to preserve documents. Zients never disabled an auto-delete function on his email account, even though he, too, received a litigation hold and consulted with lawyers, they said. The plaintiffs argue that Sandberg and Zients should be prohibited from testifying about information they sent or received using their personal email accounts. They also say the burden of proof for any affirmative defense they present should be raised to a standard of “clear and convincing evidence,” instead of the lower standard of a “preponderance” of the evidence. Sandberg was deposed last week. Plaintiff attorney Max Huffman said Zients is “busy” and will be deposed in February “after there’s an effective transition in Washington.” Defense attorney Berton Ashman described the email deletions as “unfortunate” but argued that the plaintiffs have not shown that they were prejudiced in any way. “There’s no intent here to destroy relevant or responsive information,” Ashman told Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster, adding that there no “trove of missing emails.” “There’s no grand scheme or suggestion of bad behavior,” he added. Ashman said the vast majority of emails that Sandberg and Zients sent or received using their personal accounts were also received by other individuals at Facebook. He suggested that any emails that may have been deleted have been made available to the plaintiffs from other sources at Facebook. Huffman, the plaintiffs’ lawyer, said Sandberg does not deserve the benefit of the doubt. “She unilaterally controlled what was kept and what was destroyed,” he told the judge. Laster, who is scheduled to preside over a non-jury trial in April, said he wanted to see a transcript of Sandberg’s deposition before ruling on the motion for sanctions. Last year, the judge rejected a defense motion arguing that the lawsuit should be dismissed because the plaintiffs did not first demand that Facebook’s board take legal action before filing litigation themselves. He agreed with the plaintiffs that such a demand would have been futile because of doubts that a majority of the relevant Facebook board members, many with close personal and business ties to Mark Zuckerberg, would be willing to confront the CEO and founder of the company over its privacy failures. Laster noted that, in deciding on a motion to dismiss, he was required to accept the allegations in the complaint as true. The complaint alleges that Facebook officials repeatedly and continually violated a 2012 consent order with the Federal Trade Commission under which Facebook agreed to stop collecting and sharing personal data on platform users and friends without their consent. Facebook later sold user data to commercial partners in direct violation of the consent order and removed disclosures from privacy settings that were required under consent order, the lawsuit alleges. The company’s conduct resulted in significant fines from regulators in Europe and culminated in the Cambridge Analytica scandal in 2018. That case involved a British political consulting firm hired by Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign that paid a Facebook app developer for the personal information of tens of millions Facebook users. The fallout led to Facebook agreeing to pay unprecedented $5 billion penalty to settle FTC charges that the company violated the 2012 consent order by deceiving users about their ability to protect their personal information.Reaction says it all after stunning own goal; controversy as famous last-gasp win denied: CL WrapEgyptian Stock Exchange Ends Week in Decline Amid Mixed Trading Activity

Fugitive dog gains fame in New Orleans eluding dart guns and netsPrime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said she is ready to participate in the House general session when it convenes on Thursday. The premier told the media after Wednesday's cabinet meeting that she would announce the government's 90-day performance and outline its policies for next year when parliament resumes. However, this is not the time for her to answer questions from the opposition, she added. Ms Paetongtarn said she has delegated that responsibility to deputy prime ministers or ministers who are directly responsible for the issues raised. "Having them answer questions will be more direct and will provide more in-depth details. But of course, I have an intention to join (the interpellation session). I will not abandon my responsibilities," said the prime minister when asked about the People's Party's request that she attend to answer in person. She said Thursday was not the right time for that because she had to deliver a performance announcement, and many senior civil servants would also be participating. Opposition whip chief Pakornwut Udompipatskul said interpellation sessions are set down every Thursday, so the opposition has prepared questions to ask the premier. That task will be performed by Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, leader of the People's Party, he said. "We know the prime minister will discuss the government's performance at a meeting on Dec 12, which coincides with the opening day of the parliamentary session. However, we have already informed her that we have questions to ask her," Mr Pakornwut said. "There is another way: for the prime minister to recognise the importance of parliament, which represents the public, and that a parliamentary majority voted her to be prime minister. If she sees that she should give importance to checks and balances, she should address the questions we have. This should build confidence on many matters for the public," he said. A no-confidence motion would be moved against the government this session. The opposition will keep the important questions for the premier and wait until she is ready, Mr Pakornwut added.

ATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” the center said in posting about his death on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. As reaction poured in from around the world, President Joe Biden mourned Carter’s death, saying the world lost an “extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian” and he lost a dear friend. Biden cited Carter’s compassion and moral clarity, his work to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless and advocacy for the disadvantaged as an example for others. “To all of the young people in this nation and for anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning – the good life – study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith, and humility,” Biden said in a statement. “He showed that we are a great nation because we are a good people – decent and honorable, courageous and compassionate, humble and strong.” Biden said he is ordering a state funeral for Carter in Washington. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A president from Plains A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. And then, the world Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors . He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” ‘An epic American life’ Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners . He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. A small-town start James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. His mother, Lillian , would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year he married Rosalynn Smith, another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. His decision angered Rosalynn, even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox — and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. And in 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. 'Jimmy Who?' His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided, as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were no more talented than he was. In 1974, he ran Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy for 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. Walter “Fritz” Mondale as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. Accomplishments, and ‘malaise’ Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and nonwhite people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. 'A wonderful life' At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015 . “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” Sanz is a former Associated Press reporter. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. 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TFI International Inc. ( NYSE:TFII – Get Free Report ) announced a quarterly dividend on Monday, October 21st, Zacks Dividends reports. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be paid a dividend of 0.45 per share on Wednesday, January 15th. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.31%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 31st. This is a positive change from TFI International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. TFI International has a payout ratio of 17.3% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect TFI International to earn $8.03 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.60 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 19.9%. TFI International Price Performance Shares of NYSE:TFII opened at $137.71 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $144.27 and its 200-day moving average price is $144.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 0.98 and a quick ratio of 0.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.04, a PEG ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 1.56. TFI International has a one year low of $126.00 and a one year high of $162.13. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of analysts recently weighed in on TFII shares. CIBC boosted their target price on TFI International from $166.00 to $176.00 and gave the stock an “outperformer” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. Desjardins upgraded shares of TFI International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 9th. Susquehanna reduced their target price on shares of TFI International from $180.00 to $170.00 and set a “positive” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. TD Securities lowered their price target on shares of TFI International from $180.00 to $171.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 23rd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on shares of TFI International from $189.00 to $184.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $169.19. Get Our Latest Stock Report on TFI International About TFI International ( Get Free Report ) TFI International Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides transportation and logistics services in the United States and Canada. The company operates through Package and Courier, Less-Than-Truckload (LTL), Truckload (TL), and Logistics segments. The Package and Courier segment engages in the pickup, transport, and delivery of items in North America. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for TFI International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TFI International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Recently, aespa went viral on a Korean online community for allegedly using body makeup. It is no secret that South Korean beauty standards put a lot of emphasis on pale skin. K-Pop idols with lighter skin tones are often praised for their complexion, which includes the aespa members. But recently, a video went viral on social media platforms for pointing out that all aespa members appear to be wearing body makeup to make their complexion appear lighter. A Korean netizen posted a compilation of a few such videos from TikTok on Nate Pann , attracting over 170,000 viewers as of writing. The viral post has since sparked some debate. While some argued that it could be the effect of lighting, others pointed out that using body makeup is a standard practice in K-Pop, and targeting aespa alone was done in bad taste. However, some netizens also agreed that upholding such beauty standards did not agree with the perspective of a global audience. “But isn’t it also because of the lighting? In the past, when SNSD’s Tiffany looked so brown under the podium, but once she went up on the stage and the flashes went off, her skin looked white.” “But it’s not just aespa that does this. All the idols do it as well. So why are aespa the only ones getting posts like this written about them? Honestly, Karina and Winter were always fair-skinned.” “aespa’s real skin is already on the pale side, so this kind of a doesn’t affect them at all, haha. If you look at their candid early debut photos, even the ones where they are unstyled, their legs are really white. Why would anyone post something about body makeup for aespa? Of course, as celebrities, they need to pay attention to every visible part of their body, so they probably use some tone-up cream, but their skin is already naturally fair. Photos like those just have differences in lighting and shadows, which create more contrast, that’s all. aespa’s skin has always been naturally fair...” “Do you think the idol you like doesn’t use body makeup? Pretty much every celebrity does it, so why act like only aespa does? In fact, aespa’s were already fair to begin with.” “But is it a bad thing to use body makeup? It’s true that aespa’s skin is fair, and it’s also true that they use body makeup. So why are people insisting they don’t use whitening cream? These days, body makeup is a basic thing for celebrities.” “Since they are going global, idols and actresses’ obsession with being fair is heavily mocked overseas.” “Your natural skin tone isn’t the same all over your body, so it just seems like people are overreacting.” aespa NCT’s Taeyong Sparks Heated Debate After Publicly Liking Female Idol’s Post On Instagram Aespa’s Karina Undergoes Hair Transformation Aespa’s Karina Completely Upgrades Her Visuals After One Change Aespa’s Karina Spotted Looking Stressed-AF Listening To (G)I-DLE Soyeon’s “2024 MMAs” Speech See more aespaPARIS — Notre Dame Cathedral , its air thick with the smell of incense, hosted its first Mass on Sunday since the catastrophic fire of 2019, a moment that transcended religious significance to become a powerful symbol of Paris’ resilience. Beneath the glow of traditional chandeliers and modern spotlights, which illuminated its intricately carved stonework , the cathedral emerged reborn, its grandeur restored after five years of reconstruction. For Catholics, it marks the revival of the city’s spiritual heart, a place where faith has been nurtured for centuries. For the world, it signals the rebirth of one of global heritage's most famous landmarks. The event was both solemn and historic. Archbishop Laurent Ulrich presided over the morning Mass, including the consecration of a new bronze altar. The liturgy was attended by 2,500 people, including French President Emmanuel Macron — enjoying a brief respite from France's political tumult and economic troubles — clergy, dignitaries and a few lucky members of the general public who stood in long lines to enter. Nearly 170 bishops from France and around the world took part, along with one priest from each of the 113 parishes in the Paris diocese, accompanied by worshippers from these communities. Macron, in line with France’s strict division of state and church, did not take communion. Notre Dame’s journey from ruin to resurrection was defined by extraordinary craftsmanship, nearly $1 billion in global donations and a collective, unyielding determination to rebuild. After the Mass, faithful attendees, priests, nuns, and other guests lingered in the cathedral, their awe evident. Many took pictures and selfies in front of the altar, the baptistery, and vibrant rose windows, their joy mingling with reverence. Others knelt to pray at chapels dedicated to saints, savoring a spiritual intimacy many had not experienced since the fire. Later Sunday, the cathedral opened its doors to members of the public who secured reservations last week for the first fully public Mass. The Associated Press learned that tickets for this service were claimed within 25 minutes, underscoring Notre Dame’s enduring appeal. What’s more extraordinary is that this is taking place in a country with a strong emphasis on secularism and a low rate of church attendance. The public watches on — from a distance Public viewing areas along the Seine on Sunday morning drew hundreds of people who wished to witness the historic moment from afar, although their numbers were likely subdued by rainy and miserably cold weather conditions. Retired engineer Claude Lancrenon, watching from a viewing area, expressed both awe and disappointment. “There is so much security,” he said, gesturing toward the barriers. “Yesterday, that seemed appropriate. But today, I had hoped it would be more open so we could approach the cathedral. I still hope we’ll be able to get closer.” Tight security — akin to that of the Paris Olympic Games — reflected the importance of the occasion, ensuring the safety of dignitaries and the public alike. Nathalie Martino, a retired event organizer visiting Paris, recalled the anguish of watching the cathedral burn. “I cried so much that day,” she said. “And now, here I am. I had to come. It was something I needed to do.” A sacred space reborn Sunday’s Masses follow Saturday evening’s ceremonies in which Ulrich symbolically reopened the cathedral’s massive wooden doors by striking them three times with a crosier crafted from charred beams salvaged from the fire. As the doors swung open, choirs filled the air with song and the cathedral’s great organ — silent since the fire — resounded with majestic melodies. Inside, the restoration reveals a cathedral transformed with now-gleaming limestone walls cleaned of centuries of grime. The restored stained-glass windows project dazzling patterns of color across the nave. “No one alive has seen the cathedral like this,” said the Rev. Olivier Ribadeau Dumas, Notre Dame’s rector. "It is more than restored — it is reborn.” The consecration of the new altar was a pivotal moment in Notre Dame’s return to full liturgical life. The altar houses relics of five saints tied to Paris, including St. Catherine Labouré and St. Charles de Foucauld, continuing a centuries-old tradition of embedding sacred artifacts at the heart of worship spaces. The consecration, involving holy water, chrism oil, incense and prayer, transforms the altar into a sacred centerpiece of the cathedral. That was the most moving moment of the day for Marie Capucine, 37, a consecrated virgin representing her Parisian parish of Saint Germain des Prés at the reopening. She recalled the day the fire raged, and the ‘’communion in prayer all over the world'' for the cathedral to be saved. “That shows that the Church gathers, no matter whether people are believers or not, it says something to the world, something beautiful,” she concluded. A moment of unity The reopening of Notre Dame is also a moment of cultural and national unity. Macron, who vowed to restore the cathedral within five years after the fire, called the project “a jolt of hope” for France, a nation often divided by political crises. The Sunday Masses underscore Notre Dame’s dual role as a place of worship and a symbol of communal resilience. They also ensure that members of the broader Catholic community can partake in the cathedral’s spiritual revival. Challenges overcome The path to restoration was fraught with challenges. Lead contamination forced work to pause, and the COVID-19 pandemic added delays. Yet the project, overseen by architect Philippe Villeneuve, has been hailed as a triumph of human ingenuity and collective resolve. Cutting-edge fire prevention systems, including thermal cameras and a misting system, have been installed to safeguard the cathedral’s future. Villeneuve described the effort as “restoring not just a building but the soul of a nation,” emphasizing the personal and national significance of the work. A sacred future and an ‘octave’ With its spire once again piercing the Parisian sky, Notre Dame is poised to reclaim its role as a global beacon of faith and art. The cathedral, which previously welcomed 12 million annual visitors, is expected to draw 15 million in its new chapter. This monumental revival is not confined to a single day. Ulrich has announced an “octave” of celebrations — eight days of special religious services, each with its own theme, running through Dec. 15. These daily liturgies, open to diverse groups from local parishioners to international pilgrims, emphasize Notre Dame’s role as a unifying spiritual hub. Stay Informed: Subscribe to Our Newsletter Today

Kentucky quarterback Brock Vandagriff is retiring from football with one season of eligibility left, the Lexington-Herald Leader reported Sunday. The publication said the school confirmed Vandagriff's retirement. Vandagriff didn't play in the Wildcats' season finale against Louisville. He passed for 1,593 yards, 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 11 games this season. Kentucky has added former Incarnate Word signal-caller Zach Calzada out of the transfer portal since the end of the season. Calzada also was the starting quarterback in 2021 for Texas A&M and the 2025 season will be his seventh as a college player. Vandagriff was a five-star recruit in the 2021 class who initially committed to Oklahoma before flipping and choosing Georgia. However, he didn't get much playing time in three seasons with the Bulldogs with Stetson Bennett and Carson Beck ahead of him. He chose to transfer following the 2023 season. This season, Vandagriff was benched on two occasions and only topped 200 passing yards twice. He had a good chance at a third 200-yard outing on Nov. 2 when he had 123 midway through the third quarter before getting knocked out of the 28-18 loss to then-No. 7 Tennessee due to a concussion. Cutter Boley started the 41-14 loss to Louisville. Another quarterback, Gavin Wimsatt, entered the transfer portal after throwing four interceptions in 39 attempts this season. --Field Level MediaJimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” the center said in posting about his death on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. x Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia. pic.twitter.com/aqYmcE9tXi — The Carter Center (@CarterCenter) December 29, 2024 Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors . He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners . He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. His mother, Lillian , would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year he married Rosalynn Smith, another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. His decision angered Rosalynn, even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox — and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. And in 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided, as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were no more talented than he was. In 1974, he ran Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy for 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. Walter “Fritz” Mondale as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and nonwhite people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. Jimmy Carter speaks on Feb. 3, 2016, at the House of Lords in London. At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015 . “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.”

California , home to some of the largest technology companies in the world, would be the first U.S. state to require mental health warning labels on social media sites if lawmakers pass a bill introduced Monday. The legislation sponsored by state Attorney General Rob Bonta is necessary to bolster safety for children online, supporters say, but industry officials vow to fight the measure and others like it under the First Amendment. Warning labels for social media gained swift bipartisan support from dozens of attorneys general, including Bonta, after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called on Congress to establish the requirements earlier this year, saying social media is a contributing factor in the mental health crisis among young people. “These companies know the harmful impact their products can have on our children, and they refuse to take meaningful steps to make them safer,” Bonta said at a news conference Monday. “Time is up. It’s time we stepped in and demanded change.” State officials haven't provided details on the bill, but Bonta said the warning labels could pop up once weekly. Up to 95% of youth ages 13 to 17 say they use a social media platform, and more than a third say that they use social media “almost constantly,” according to 2022 data from the Pew Research Center. Parents’ concerns prompted Australia to pass the world’s first law banning social media for children under 16 in November. “The promise of social media, although real, has turned into a situation where they’re turning our children’s attention into a commodity,” Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, who authored the California bill, said Monday. “The attention economy is using our children and their well-being to make money for these California companies.” Lawmakers instead should focus on online safety education and mental health resources, not warning label bills that are “constitutionally unsound,” said Todd O’Boyle, a vice president of the tech industry policy group Chamber of Progress. “We strongly suspect that the courts will set them aside as compelled speech,” O’Boyle told The Associated Press. Victoria Hinks' 16-year-old daughter, Alexandra, died by suicide four months ago after being “led down dark rabbit holes” on social media that glamorized eating disorders and self-harm. Hinks said the labels would help protect children from companies that turn a blind eye to the harm caused to children’s mental health when they become addicted to social media platforms. “There's not a bone in my body that doubts social media played a role in leading her to that final, irreversible decision,” Hinks said. “This could be your story." Common Sense Media, a sponsor of the bill, said it plans to lobby for similar proposals in other states. California in the past decade has positioned itself as a leader in regulating and fighting the tech industry to bolster online safety for children. The state was the first in 2022 to bar online platforms from using users’ personal information in ways that could harm children. It was one of the states that sued Meta in 2023 and TikTok in October for deliberately designing addictive features that keep kids hooked on their platforms. Gov. Gavin Newsom , a Democrat, also signed several bills in September to help curb the effects of social media on children, including one to prohibit social media platforms from knowingly providing addictive feeds to children without parental consent and one to limit or ban students from using smartphones on school campus. Federal lawmakers have held hearings on child online safety and legislation is in the works to force companies to take reasonable steps to prevent harm. The legislation has the support of X owner Elon Musk and the President-elect’s son, Donald Trump Jr . Still, the last federal law aimed at protecting children online was enacted in 1998, six years before Facebook’s founding.

David Bonderman, co-founder of private equity firm TPG and co-owner of Seattle Kraken, dies at 82Montreal Canadiens' Brendan Gallagher and wife Emma expecting baby

East Carolina's Rahjai Harris broke off a dazzling 86-yard touchdown in the final two minutes of a record-setting night, and the Pirates snapped a three-game losing streak to the North Carolina State Wolfpack with a 26-21 win in the Military Bowl in Annapolis, Md., on Saturday. With East Carolina trailing 21-20, Harris zipped around the left end, cut back and outran the Wolfpack secondary at 1:33 to give the Pirates (8-5) their fifth win in six games. The Pirates' Dontavius Nash intercepted a deflected pass by quarterback CJ Bailey as the Wolfpack (6-7) attempted a rally past midfield. A short brawl broke out between the teams with 38 seconds left. Harris, a senior, set his career high and a Military Bowl record with 220 rushing yards on 17 carries. "Just so proud of Rahjai and the way those guys fought. Those guys have been here for five years," Pirates coach Blake Harrell said, referring to his seniors. "I don't know how much we'll see that in college football anymore." Quarterback Katin Houser went 18-of-29 passing for 147 yards and two interceptions. He rushed for 84 yards on 13 attempts with two touchdowns. Bailey completed 19 of 26 passes for 230 yards with three scores and an interception, while Hollywood Smothers rushed for 139 yards on 15 carries. Tamarcus Cooley recorded two interceptions for the Wolfpack, who lost for the third time in four games. Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren wasn't happy with how his team handled the closing seconds as the Pirates were running out the clock. "First, congratulations to ECU on the win, they earned it. And I'd also like to apologize for our football team for how that ended. I'm embarrassed as a coach and I know our players are, too." On third-and-6 on ECU's opening series after stopping NC State on a fourth-and-1 at the Pirates' 24, Houser called his own number and rumbled in untouched from 19 yards to cap a 75-yard drive for a 7-0 lead with 4:43 remaining in the first quarter. Smothers' 44-yard run put NC State in position for its first points, but Kanoah Vinesett pulled a 34-yard field goal wide left at 13:34 of the second. East Carolina kicker Noah Perez answered on the next possession by drilling a 24-yard field goal with 7:17 to go for a 10-0 advantage. The Wolfpack finally capitalized with their best drive of the half by going 78 yards in 11 plays. Bailey ended it with a pass of 8 yards to Dacari Collins with 1:58 left, but Perez booted a 42-yarder with six seconds left for a 13-7 halftime lead. In the third, Houser kept the Pirates a perfect 4-for-4 in scoring on their possessions by dashing in from 4 yards at 9:17 for a 20-7 lead while the defense continued to hassle Bailey. However, Bailey fired two scoring passes early in the fourth quarter, striking from 15 yards to Justin Joly on fourth-and-2, and then using a trick play to hit Smothers for a 33-yard score to take the one-point lead at the 9:49 mark. --Field Level Media