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wow jili 777 December 14, 1933 - December 16, 2024 It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Robert Willis “R.W.” Thornton, 91, of Fort Worth, on December 16, 2024, two days after his 91st birthday. R.W. was born on December 14, 1933, in Dirgin, Texas, to Willis Thurman “W.T.” and Alma Lenora (Reece) Thornton. A proud Texan, R.W. graduated from Snyder High School in 1952, and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Arts from North Texas State College in 1956, followed by a Master of Science degree from Oklahoma State University in 1960. His commitment to education culminated in earning a Doctor of Education degree in 1971 from the University of Arkansas. A proud alumnus of Kappa Sigma fraternity since 1955, he exemplified the values of leadership, scholarship, and brotherhood throughout his life. From 1963 to 1992, R.W. served as a professor at North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas), in the Department of Industrial Technology, where he impacted the lives of countless students. R.W. was known for his quick wit, imparting his wisdom and advice on others, and his love of telling a good joke. He had a particular fondness for Studebakers, which spoke to his appreciation for quality craftsmanship and classic design. R.W. is survived by his wife, Shirley, and their four children: Darby Binder of Denton, Texas; Julie Sevier and husband Steve of Oak Point, Texas; Danica Knight and husband Kevin of Fort Worth, Texas; and Marcella Dill and husband Greg of Oil City, Pennsylvania. He also leaves behind a large and loving extended family, including 10 grandchildren: Heidi Binder, Ryan Binder, Levi Mitchell and wife Danielle, Brett Sevier, Torie Sevier, Lorelle Dunn and husband Justin, Collin Knight, Coleman Dill, Morgan Dill, and Drayton Dill. R.W. was also blessed with eight great-grandchildren. R.W. was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Linda (Thornton) Sisson. He will be remembered for his steadfast love of country, his family, and his sense of humor. A celebration of life will be held on Sunday, December 22, 2024 from 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM at his and Shirley’s home at 5909 Wedgmont Circle North, Fort Worth, Texas, 76133.NEW YORK (AP) — Angelina Jolie never expected to hit all the notes. But finding the breath of Maria Callas was enough to bring things out of Jolie that she didn’t even know were in her. “All of us, we really don’t realize where things land in our body over a lifetime of different experiences and where we hold it to protect ourselves,” Jolie said in a recent interview. “We hold it in our stomachs. We hold it in our chest. We breathe from a different place when we’re nervous or we’re sad. “The first few weeks were the hardest because my body had to open and I had to breathe again,” she adds. “And that was a discovery of how much I wasn’t.” In Pablo Larraín’s “Maria,” which Netflix released in theaters Wednesday before it begins streaming on Dec. 11, Jolie gives, if not the performance of her career, then certainly of her last decade. Beginning with 2010’s “In the Land of Blood and Honey,” Jolie has spent recent years directing films while prioritizing raising her six children. “So my choices for quite a few years were whatever was smart financially and short. I worked very little the last eight years,” says Jolie. “And I was kind of drained. I couldn’t for a while.” But her youngest kids are now 16. And for the first time in years, Jolie is back in the spotlight, in full movie-star mode. Her commanding performance in “Maria” seems assured of bringing Jolie her third Oscar nomination. (She won supporting actress in 2000 for “Girl, Interrupted.”) For an actress whose filmography might lack a signature movie, “Maria” may be Jolie's defining role. Jolie's oldest children, Maddox and Pax, worked on the set of the film. There, they saw a version of their mother they hadn't seen before. “They had certainly seen me sad in my life. But I don’t cry in front of my children like that,” Jolie says of the emotion Callas dredged up in her. “That was a moment in realizing they were going to be with me, side by side, in this process of really understanding the depth of some of the pain I carry.” Jolie, who met a reporter earlier this fall at the Carlyle Hotel, didn't speak in any detail of that pain. But it was hard not to sense some it had to do with her lengthy and ongoing divorce from Brad Pitt, with whom she had six children. Just prior to meeting, a judge allowed Pitt’s remaining claim against Jolie, over the French winery Château Miraval, to proceed. On Monday, a judge ruled that Pitt must disclose documents Jolie’s legal team have sought that they allege include “communications concerning abuse.” Pitt has denied ever being abusive. The result of the U.S. presidential election was also just days old, though Jolie — special envoy for the United Nations Refugee Agency from 2012 to 2022 – wasn’t inclined to talk politics. Asked about Donald Trump’s win , she responded, “Global storytelling is essential,” before adding: “That’s what I’m focusing on. Listening. Listening to the voices of people in my country and around the world.” Balancing such things — reports concerning her private life, questions that accompany someone of her fame — is a big reason why Jolie is so suited to the part of Callas. The film takes place during the American-born soprano’s final days. (She died of a heart attack at 53 in 1977.) Spending much of her time in her grand Paris apartment, Callas hasn’t sung publicly in years; she’s lost her voice. Imprisoned by the myth she’s created, Callas is redefining herself and her voice. An instructor tells her he wants to hear “Callas, not Maria." The movie, of course, is more concerned with Maria. It’s Larrain’s third portrait of 20th century female icon, following “Jackie” (with Natalie Portman as Jacqueline Kennedy) and “Spencer” (with Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana). As Callas, Jolie is wonderfully regal — a self-possessed diva who deliciously, in lines penned by screenwriter Steven Knight, spouts lines like: “I took liberties all my life and the world took liberties with me.” Asked if she identified with that line, Jolie answered, “Yeah, yeah.” Then she took a long pause. “I’m sure people will read a lot into this and there’s probably a lot I could say but don’t want to feed into,” Jolie eventually continues. “I know she was a public person because she loved her work. And I’m a public person because I love my work, not because I like being public. I think some people are more comfortable with a public life, and I’ve never been fully comfortable with it.” When Larraín first approached Jolie about the role, he screened “Spencer” for her. That film, like “Jackie” and “Maria,” eschews a biopic approach to instead intimately focus on a specific moment of crisis. Larraín was convinced Jolie was meant for the role. “I felt she could have that magnetism,” Larraín says. “The enigmatic diva that’s come to a point in her life where she has to take control of her life again. But the weight of her experience, of her music, of her singing, everything, is on her back. And she carries that. It’s someone who’s already loaded with a life that’s been intense.” “There’s a loneliness that we both share,” Jolie says. “That’s not necessarily a bad thing. I think people can be alone and lonely sometimes, and that can be part of who they are.” Larraín, the Chilean filmmaker, grew up in Santiago going to the opera, and he has long yearned to bring its full power and majesty to a movie. In Callas, he heard something that transfixed him. “I hear something near perfection, but at the same time, it’s something that’s about to be destroyed,” Larraín says. “So it’s as fragile and as strong as possible. It lives in both extremes. That’s why it’s so moving. I hear a voice that’s about to be broken, but it doesn’t.” In Callas’ less perfect moments singing in the film, Larraín fuses archival recordings of Callas with Jolie’s own voice. Some mix of the two runs throughout “Maria.” “Early in the process,” Jolie says, “I discovered that you can’t fake-sing opera.” Jolie has said she never sang before, not even karaoke. But the experience has left her with a newfound appreciation of opera and its healing properties. “I wonder if it’s something you lean into as you get older,” Jolie says. “Maybe your depth of pain is bigger, your depth of loss is bigger, and that sound in opera meets that, the enormity of it.” If Larraín’s approach to “Maria” is predicated on an unknowingness, he's inclined to say something similar about his star. “Because of media and social media, some people might think that they know a lot about Angelina,” he says. “Maria, I read nine biographies of her. I saw everything. I read every interview. I made this movie. But I don’t think I would be capable of telling you who she was us. So if there’s an element in common, it’s that. They carry an enormous amount of mystery. Even if you think that you know them, you don’t.” Whether “Maria” means more acting in the future for Jolie, she's not sure. “There's not a clear map,” she says. Besides, Jolie isn't quite ready to shake Callas. “When you play a real person, you feel at some point that they become your friend,” says Jolie. “Right now, it’s still a little personal. It’s funny, I’ll be at a premiere or I’ll walk into a room and someone will start blaring her music for fun, but I have this crazy internal sense memory of dropping to my knees and crying.” Jake Coyle, The Associated Press

OTTAWA - The union representing rank-and-file Mounties is welcoming a federal plan to spend $1.3 billion to bolster border security and ensure the integrity of the immigration system. Read this article for free: Already have an account? As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed. Now, more than ever, we need your support. Starting at $14.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website. or call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527. Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community! OTTAWA - The union representing rank-and-file Mounties is welcoming a federal plan to spend $1.3 billion to bolster border security and ensure the integrity of the immigration system. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? OTTAWA – The union representing rank-and-file Mounties is welcoming a federal plan to spend $1.3 billion to bolster border security and ensure the integrity of the immigration system. In its fall economic update Monday, the Liberal government said it would invest in cutting-edge technology for law enforcement, so that only people who are eligible to remain in Canada do so. The money, to be spread over six fiscal years, is earmarked for the RCMP, Public Safety Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency and the cyberspies at the Communications Security Establishment. RCMP members enforce laws between official points of entry and investigate criminal activities related to the border. National Police Federation president Brian Sauvé says members have been protecting the border with limited resources, and the new money will allow them to continue delivering on their mandate. Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc is expected to join other ministers this afternoon to provide more details on the plan. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 17, 2024. Advertisement'Ignore the Scrooges, get Christmas started early to distract us from World War Three'

Baidu (BIDU) Q3 2024 Earnings Call TranscriptAn international symposium on 'Climate Change and Sustainable Energy: Strategies for Low-Carbon Transition,' organised by the Social and Economic Survey Research Institute (Sesri) at Qatar University (QU) brought together experts, researchers, and policymakers to address pressing climate challenges and explore innovative pathways toward sustainable energy solutions. The event took place against the backdrop of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), held in Baku, Azerbaijan, under the theme 'In Solidarity for a Green World.' The timing underscored the critical need for collaborative efforts to address the far-reaching impacts of climate change. In his opening remarks, Prof Aiman Erbad, vice president of Research and Graduate Studies at QU, emphasised the alignment of the event with Qatar's National Vision (QNV) 2030 and the broader Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) commitment to climate action. He highlighted ongoing initiatives across the region to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, promote economic diversification, and integrate sustainability into national development strategies. “QU has made climate change a top priority, embedding it across research, education, and training initiatives,” he noted. Engineer Abdullah Abdo Mohamed Salih al-Odani emphasised the critical nature of climate change as one of humanity’s most significant challenges. He outlined the Ministry of Municipality’s efforts in promoting eco-friendly urban planning, adopting green technologies, and supporting sustainable agricultural practices, all aligned with QNV 2030. Prof Kaltham al-Ghanim, director of Sesri, underscored the symposium’s role as a platform for meaningful dialogue among experts, researchers, and policymakers. She highlighted the urgency of developing renewable energy strategies to ensure the sustainability of natural resources, safeguard human and environmental health, and create evidence-based policies to address emerging challenges. Prof al-Ghanim also announced that the next symposium will focus on 'Climate Change and the Environment: The Role of Technology in Sustainable Food Security.' Dr Sana Abosen, associate researcher at Sesri, provided an overview of the symposium's objectives and structure. The symposium featured three key sessions addressing critical aspects of climate change and sustainable energy. The first session focused on energy efficiency and the role of behavioral insights in adopting low-carbon technologies. The second session explored national strategies for transitioning to renewable energy and reducing dependence on fossil fuels. The final session highlighted decarbonisation strategies and shared experiences from GCC countries, emphasising collaboration and practical approaches to energy efficiency and carbon reduction. Related Story Climate change awareness video contest for students Shura Council participates in Baku climate conference

Lebanon awaits Israel’s response to US-backed ceasefire proposalRCMP union applauds planned federal spending on border security

President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to impose new tariffs on all imports from China, Mexico, and Canada when he assumes office in January, a decision that could potentially disrupt trade flows and drive up commodity prices. The US would impose an additional 10% tariff on all imports from China, on top of existing tariffs, and a 25% tariff on all products from Mexico and Canada, Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social late Nov. 25. Mexico, Canada, and China are among the US’s top trade partners. The US imports several commodities from China, including used cooking oil, a key feedstock for producing sustainable aviation fuel. In August, the US imported 160,141.92 mt of UCO from China, rising 60% on the month, according to China’s customs data. The US also imported 5.37 million barrels of crude and petroleum products from China over January-August, increasing from 4.6 million barrels in the same period in 2023, data from the US Energy Information Administration showed. US imports of Mexican crude averaged 768,000 b/d for the week ended Nov. 15, reaching the highest volume since 987,000 b/d in the week ended June 7, according to the EIA. US imports of Canadian crude averaged 3.953 million b/d in the week to Nov. 8, the highest since 4.155 million b/d in the week ended Sept. 13. A feedstock manager at a major South Korean refiner said that “it could be interesting to see how Mexican and Canadian [crude] suppliers react though, as the tariffs could make them rely more on Asian buyers next year.” Some North Asian refiners said they would monitor any potential slowdown in Mexican and Canadian crude flows to US refineries in 2025 that could lead to more attractive offers for Asian buyers of Isthmus, Maya crudes, Cold Lake Blend, and Western Canadian Select crudes. Japanese refiners have been interested in buying Canadian heavy sour crudes to diversify supply sources. A market analyst from a Singapore-based Japanese trading company said the tariffs could create obstacles for Canadian crude sales to the US, while Japanese refiners might find opportunities to benefit from this situation. Trump cited “crime and drugs” and illegal immigration as reasons for the tariffs. “Representatives of China told me that they would institute their maximum penalty, that of death, for any drug dealers caught doing this, but unfortunately, they never followed through, and drugs are pouring into our country, mostly through Mexico, at levels never seen before,” highlighting fentanyl in particular. “Until such time as they stop, we will be charging China an additional 10% tariff, above any additional tariffs, on all of their many products coming into the United States of America,” he said. Trump said Mexico and Canada must solve cross-border “drug issues” and illegal immigration matters. “Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to easily solve this long-simmering problem. We hereby demand that they use this power, and until such time that they do, it is time for them to pay a very big price!” he said. Source:NEW YORK (AP) — Angelina Jolie never expected to hit all the notes. But finding the breath of Maria Callas was enough to bring things out of Jolie that she didn’t even know were in her. “All of us, we really don’t realize where things land in our body over a lifetime of different experiences and where we hold it to protect ourselves,” Jolie said in a recent interview. “We hold it in our stomachs. We hold it in our chest. We breathe from a different place when we’re nervous or we’re sad. “The first few weeks were the hardest because my body had to open and I had to breathe again,” she adds. “And that was a discovery of how much I wasn’t.” In Pablo Larraín’s “Maria,” which Netflix released in theaters Wednesday before it begins streaming on Dec. 11, Jolie gives, if not the performance of her career, then certainly of her last decade. Beginning with 2010’s “In the Land of Blood and Honey,” Jolie has spent recent years directing films while prioritizing raising her six children. “So my choices for quite a few years were whatever was smart financially and short. I worked very little the last eight years,” says Jolie. “And I was kind of drained. I couldn’t for a while.” But her youngest kids are now 16. And for the first time in years, Jolie is back in the spotlight, in full movie-star mode. Her commanding performance in “Maria” seems assured of bringing Jolie her third Oscar nomination. (She won supporting actress in 2000 for “Girl, Interrupted.”) For an actress whose filmography might lack a signature movie, “Maria” may be Jolie's defining role. Jolie's oldest children, Maddox and Pax, worked on the set of the film. There, they saw a version of their mother they hadn't seen before. “They had certainly seen me sad in my life. But I don’t cry in front of my children like that,” Jolie says of the emotion Callas dredged up in her. “That was a moment in realizing they were going to be with me, side by side, in this process of really understanding the depth of some of the pain I carry.” Jolie, who met a reporter earlier this fall at the Carlyle Hotel, didn't speak in any detail of that pain. But it was hard not to sense some it had to do with her lengthy and ongoing divorce from Brad Pitt, with whom she had six children. Just prior to meeting, a judge allowed Pitt’s remaining claim against Jolie, over the French winery Château Miraval, to proceed. On Monday, a judge ruled that Pitt must disclose documents Jolie’s legal team have sought that they allege include “communications concerning abuse.” Pitt has denied ever being abusive. The result of the U.S. presidential election was also just days old, though Jolie — special envoy for the United Nations Refugee Agency from 2012 to 2022 – wasn’t inclined to talk politics. Asked about Donald Trump’s win , she responded, “Global storytelling is essential,” before adding: “That’s what I’m focusing on. Listening. Listening to the voices of people in my country and around the world.” Balancing such things — reports concerning her private life, questions that accompany someone of her fame — is a big reason why Jolie is so suited to the part of Callas. The film takes place during the American-born soprano’s final days. (She died of a heart attack at 53 in 1977.) Spending much of her time in her grand Paris apartment, Callas hasn’t sung publicly in years; she’s lost her voice. Imprisoned by the myth she’s created, Callas is redefining herself and her voice. An instructor tells her he wants to hear “Callas, not Maria." The movie, of course, is more concerned with Maria. It’s Larrain’s third portrait of 20th century female icon, following “Jackie” (with Natalie Portman as Jacqueline Kennedy) and “Spencer” (with Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana). As Callas, Jolie is wonderfully regal — a self-possessed diva who deliciously, in lines penned by screenwriter Steven Knight, spouts lines like: “I took liberties all my life and the world took liberties with me.” Asked if she identified with that line, Jolie answered, “Yeah, yeah.” Then she took a long pause. “I’m sure people will read a lot into this and there’s probably a lot I could say but don’t want to feed into,” Jolie eventually continues. “I know she was a public person because she loved her work. And I’m a public person because I love my work, not because I like being public. I think some people are more comfortable with a public life, and I’ve never been fully comfortable with it.” When Larraín first approached Jolie about the role, he screened “Spencer” for her. That film, like “Jackie” and “Maria,” eschews a biopic approach to instead intimately focus on a specific moment of crisis. Larraín was convinced Jolie was meant for the role. “I felt she could have that magnetism,” Larraín says. “The enigmatic diva that’s come to a point in her life where she has to take control of her life again. But the weight of her experience, of her music, of her singing, everything, is on her back. And she carries that. It’s someone who’s already loaded with a life that’s been intense.” “There’s a loneliness that we both share,” Jolie says. “That’s not necessarily a bad thing. I think people can be alone and lonely sometimes, and that can be part of who they are.” Larraín, the Chilean filmmaker, grew up in Santiago going to the opera, and he has long yearned to bring its full power and majesty to a movie. In Callas, he heard something that transfixed him. “I hear something near perfection, but at the same time, it’s something that’s about to be destroyed,” Larraín says. “So it’s as fragile and as strong as possible. It lives in both extremes. That’s why it’s so moving. I hear a voice that’s about to be broken, but it doesn’t.” In Callas’ less perfect moments singing in the film, Larraín fuses archival recordings of Callas with Jolie’s own voice. Some mix of the two runs throughout “Maria.” “Early in the process,” Jolie says, “I discovered that you can’t fake-sing opera.” Jolie has said she never sang before, not even karaoke. But the experience has left her with a newfound appreciation of opera and its healing properties. “I wonder if it’s something you lean into as you get older,” Jolie says. “Maybe your depth of pain is bigger, your depth of loss is bigger, and that sound in opera meets that, the enormity of it.” If Larraín’s approach to “Maria” is predicated on an unknowingness, he's inclined to say something similar about his star. “Because of media and social media, some people might think that they know a lot about Angelina,” he says. “Maria, I read nine biographies of her. I saw everything. I read every interview. I made this movie. But I don’t think I would be capable of telling you who she was us. So if there’s an element in common, it’s that. They carry an enormous amount of mystery. Even if you think that you know them, you don’t.” Whether “Maria” means more acting in the future for Jolie, she's not sure. “There's not a clear map,” she says. Besides, Jolie isn't quite ready to shake Callas. “When you play a real person, you feel at some point that they become your friend,” says Jolie. “Right now, it’s still a little personal. It’s funny, I’ll be at a premiere or I’ll walk into a room and someone will start blaring her music for fun, but I have this crazy internal sense memory of dropping to my knees and crying.” Jake Coyle, The Associated Press

New Complaint Contends 'Vaporware' Strategy and Systematic Anti-Competitive Practices Destroyed Competition for Internet Connectivity in Business Aviation CHARLOTTE, N.C. , Dec. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SmartSky Networks, LLC today filed a comprehensive antitrust lawsuit against Gogo, Inc. and Gogo Business Aviation, LLC ($GOGO) in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina (Case 3:24-cv-01087), alleging illegal monopolistic practices in the air-to-ground (ATG) broadband inflight connectivity market for business aviation. The lawsuit alleges multiple violations of federal antitrust laws, including the Sherman Act and Clayton Act, as well as North Carolina state tort laws and the Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act, claiming that Gogo engaged in predatory pricing, misleading advertising, and exclusive dealing agreements to maintain its monopoly position in the ATG market. SmartSky is pursuing this case to protect innovation as well as to seek justice for unfair business practices. The company's complaint contends that a systematic campaign of misinformation and exclusive dealing arrangements effectively blocked SmartSky's access to critical distribution channels and created insurmountable barriers to market entry, stifling the innovation and competition customers depend on. The lawsuit seeks substantial damages potentially exceeding $1 billion . The legal action aims to address the alleged harm to competition and consumers in the aviation connectivity market. This new Complaint is separate and apart from the Intellectual Property case (Case 1:22-cv-00266-JLH) SmartSky previously filed against Gogo in Delaware . The trial of that case is scheduled to begin in April, 2025. SmartSky is represented by Rik Tozzi , of Burr & Forman, LLP. About SmartSky Until ceasing business operations in August, 2024, SmartSky Networks, LLC was an aviation technology company that developed and launched an innovative air-to-ground network for business aviation, offering superior connectivity solutions through advanced telecommunications technology and infrastructure. View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/smartsky-files-1b-antitrust-lawsuit-alleging-gogo-business-aviation-acted-as-an-abusive-monopolist-302334142.html SOURCE SmartSky Networks