Washington state Gov.-elect Bob Ferguson on Thursday named a veteran budget writer and policy analyst to serve as his director of the Office of Financial Management. K.D. Chapman-See, the agency’s current legislative affairs liaison, will be the point person helping Ferguson fashion his first state spending plan in the shadow of a potential multi-billion dollar budget deficit. Also Thursday, Ferguson started his search for new leaders of nine state agencies, including the departments of transportation, corrections, social and health services and ecology. Current directors of most of those agencies have already announced plans to step down or retire. With Chapman-See, Ferguson tapped a skilled and respected analyst with experience in the executive and legislative branches of Washington state government. Before joining Gov. Jay Inslee’s budget office, she worked more than a decade in the state House of Representatives as a policy director and as a senior analyst for operating budget and tax policy for the House Democratic Caucus, according to Ferguson’s transition team. “K.D. brings tremendous talent and expertise to this critical position in state government,” Ferguson said in a statement. “She understands the budget challenges facing the state, and I look forward to working with her to deliver efficient, effective government.” Those budget challenges will be significant as Ferguson begins his term. State tax revenues are not keeping pace with the rising costs of current and promised programs. Inslee and his budget director, Pat Sullivan, have warned the gap is around $12 billion over the next four-plus fiscal years and directed state agencies to identify potential cuts. Some ideas for what to trim may wind up in Inslee’s proposed budget for the 2025-27 biennium. So too may some ideas for raising additional revenue. The budget proposal is due out in mid-December and will be a template for Ferguson and state lawmakers when they craft final budgets in the 2025 legislative session. While Ferguson has not commented publicly about the state’s budget situation, Democratic legislators have said they expect to consider spending reductions and new revenue sources to erase the shortfall. Chapman-See will assume her new role on Jan. 15 and be part of Ferguson’s executive leadership team. She will succeed Sullivan, a former state lawmaker who was appointed director of the Office of Financial Management in July when David Schumacher, Inslee’s longtime budget director, departed. “I am deeply grateful to Pat Sullivan for his leadership during this challenging time as he develops Governor Inslee’s final budget,” Ferguson said. “He is an outstanding public servant who puts the needs of Washingtonians first.” Other agencies where Ferguson said he intends to hire new leaders include the Department of Children, Youth and Families, Department of Enterprise Services, the Health Care Authority, and Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs. Directors of all but transportation and enterprise services had previously said they would be leaving. Enterprise services manages state buildings and vehicle fleets, among other responsibilities. Secretary of Transportation Roger Millar told the Washington State Standard in a recent interview that he hoped to stay on in the new administration. He informed Department of Transportation employees Thursday afternoon that his last day will be Jan. 15. “Leading this agency has been a true highlight of my life personally and professionally,” he wrote in an email. “Because of you WSDOT is one of the most innovative, effective and consequential departments of transportation in the world.” In the release, Ferguson said he is evaluating the leadership of other cabinet agencies and will provide an update next week. Those interested in applying for a leadership position or serving on a board or commission can do so online through a newly launched web portal.Moving To Costa Rica: A Guide For North American Retirees
Demand at Edmonton's Food Bank is reaching levels never seen before, and the need is causing so much strain that the food bank will soon put limits on how often clients can use its services. Executive director Marjorie Bencz said about 45,000 people a month are now being served through the food bank's hamper program, roughly 10,000 more compared to this time two years ago . "We're running at capacity all the time," Bencz said in an interview. "This is not sustainable over time." The food bank started reducing the size of its hampers in January 2023 to accommodate growing demand. Among other pressures, the city's population has increased by nearly 13 per cent in the past five years, according to provincial data. Marjorie Bencz is the executive director of Edmonton's Food Bank. (Samuel Martin/CBC) Currently, there are no restrictions on the number of hampers a client can receive. But starting as early as February, the food bank will have to limit the number of times that people can use it, Bencz said. Decisions will soon be made on restricting the number of visits, though details still need to be ironed out over whether there would be monthly or yearly constraints. "It's a rough situation for us because, of course, we don't want people going hungry in our community. At the same time, we have to be able to serve as many people as we can," she said. Food bank use is widening and more people are accessing them for the first time, local providers say As demand surges, food banks in Lloydminster can't grow quickly enough Click and go: Calgary Food Bank now offering customized food hampers Food banks across Canada are facing big challenges as demand soars, thanks in part to the high cost of living and inflation. According to the 2024 HungerCount report , 56 per cent of food banks across Canada either reduced frequency of service or gave out less food; in 2021, it was 20 per cent. Calgary's Muslim Food Bank has no plans to introduce similar limits, according to operations assistant Mariam Wajhi, but it is seeing the pressure. The food bank, which offers halal options but is open to everyone, distributed hampers to 30 families when it opened in 2022, she said. Calgary's Muslim Food Bank opened its doors in April 2022. (Justin Pennell/CBC) Now, it is at capacity with 300 families registered to receive monthly hampers and another 200 families on the waitlist. "I have heard that some families, they said that 'We go to other food banks and they're at their full capacity so we looked up online and we saw you guys,'" Wajhi said. "Every day, we have 10 to 12 walk-in families." While there is some concern that the organization might not be able to keep up with growing demand, she said it will continue to rely on support and donations from the community. Food bank a lifeline for some The Veterans Association in Edmonton, which provides monthly food hampers to military members, is also seeing exponential growth in demand. Outreach lead Chris Casey, left, speaks with a volunteer inside a warehouse for Veterans Association food bank. (Julia Wong/CBC) Roughly three years ago, the Veterans Association food bank was filling 55 hampers a month; now, it expects to surpass 300 hampers in December. "It's almost scary just trying to keep up with it. Fortunately we're able to get some very, very good donations that come in to help us," said outreach lead Chris Casey. "But at the same time, you have to worry about a society where we have that many people in that kind of trouble." Casey said growth is expected to continue into the new year and the organization is hoping to keep up by leaning on donations. Eric Monahan and his family have been relying on food hampers from the Veterans Association for roughly two years. (Samuel Martin/CBC News) Eric Monahan and his large family started using the Veterans Association food bank about two years ago. Monahan retired from the Royal Canadian Navy in 2019. What he thought was a one-off for a Christmas hamper ended up becoming a monthly routine. He said that some months, it was the difference between succeeding and failing. "I'm the breadwinner and our incomes aren't really ... they're barely making it," he said. Shelves inside the Veterans Association in Edmonton are stocked with non-perishable items destined for food hampers. (Julia Wong/CBC News) Monahan has an 11-person household to support and said it is "consistently frustrating" to try and stretch the family's income. "Every time I seem to go out, the prices are consistently going higher," he said. Monahan said that without the hampers, his family would have to make difficult decisions and he is grateful for the support. "When we first got this assistance, my pride was [getting] the better of me, that there's other people that are more unfortunate that would need this help," he said. "But it has become our lifeline."LITCHFIELD – A fiscally beleaguered Region 20 Board of Education is facing an increasing deficit in its $41.5 million budget for 2024-25, a shortfall that now stands at a projected $2.3 million as the board gears up to seek a cash infusion of $1.9 million in a referendum Dec. 3. The school board, grappling with a deficit since early July, received the latest bad news during its meeting Thursday at Lakeview High School. It came from Acting Superintendent Kristen Della Volpe and the board’s financial consultant, Thomas Ariola. Despite clamping down on discretionary spending, the board continues to face a stubborn deficit, Ariola said, one that is now higher than the projected shortfall of $2.1 million reported in July. “This is getting hard now and you are going to have to look at making cuts,” Ariola told the board. “The budget has some very large concerns, but there are ways to shave (the deficit) down to make it more reasonable.” After discussion, the board directed Della Volpe to develop a list of potential cuts for it to consider, though a dollar figure was not included in the request. Earlier in the meeting, Della Volpe said she was prepared to offer $307,000 in potential reductions. The updated shortfall, Ariola said, was identified after a “deep dive” into the budget and with help from school board member Scott Pottbecker of Morris, who works as a chief financial officer for a private school in Massachusetts. “Can we afford to wait?” Pottbecker asked regarding the prospect of making cuts. “The position we’re in isn’t going to get better. I believe we should empower (Della Volpe) to do the job of reducing the deficit.” Alternatives to cutting spending, Della Volpe said, could include rolling the deficit into the board’s budget for 2025-26 or seeking from Litchfield, Warren, Morris and Goshen a one-time tax assessment that would erase the shortfall. “We need to be prudent, get in there and do it as efficiently as possible,” school board member Matthew Terzian of Litchfield said in support of budget cuts. NEWS OF THE UPDATED DEFICIT comes as the board prepares for a referendum that will ask for $1.9 million in bonding to pay off Litchfield’s $1.8 million in existing education debt as called for in the plan that approved creation of the Region 20 district. The balance of the $1.9 million would cover fees associated with securing bonding. Bonding, if approved, would allow the board to recoup nearly $1.2 million in two payments already made to Litchfield and the remaining $700,000 due in July 2025. Without the bonding, the board could face a cash-flow problem in late winter or early spring, Ariola has advised. According to the update provided by Ariola, the review of the budget identified projected shortfalls that include $820,847 for unbudgeted noncertified staff positions, $415,340 for unbudgeted certified staff positions and $372,695 in tuition for students needing out-of-district services. There also is a projected $326,800 deficit for legal fees associated with formation of Region 20, and for central office transition, special education, technology operations and insurance. Bus transportation, meanwhile, faces a projected $324,286 deficit. That $1,416,000 line item in the budget should be $1,711,600, Ariola noted. An unanticipated increase in fuel of 20 cents per gallon and an increase in special-education transportation round out the shortfall. The review did identify a projected $330,000 surplus in pension costs and projected $143,168 savings in utilities, custodial supplies and maintenance. WARREN FIRST SELECTMAN GREGORY LACAVA will serve as moderator of a public informational meeting Tuesday that will give residents a chance to learn about the Region 20 school board $1.9 million bonding request that voters will consider Dec. 3. The meeting will be at 6 p.m. at Warren Woods. Warren’s three board representatives, Tiffany Parkhouse, Ashley Westfall and Robert DeLayo, will participate in the discussion and take questions. Contact John McKenna at jmckenna33 @ optonline.net.
Forget FTSE 100 airlines! I think shares in this company offer better value to considerHAMDEN, Conn. (AP) — Amarri Tice scored 20 points and Paul Otieno added six in the overtime as Quinnipiac defeated Hofstra 75-69 on Sunday. Tice added 11 rebounds and three blocks for the Bobcats (6-7). Otieno scored 17 points and added 14 rebounds. Jaden Zimmerman shot 4 of 8 from the field, including 1 for 4 from 3-point range, and went 1 for 5 from the free-throw line to finish with 10 points. Jean Aranguren led the Pride (8-5) in scoring, finishing with 23 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals. Cruz Davis added 14 points and two steals for Hofstra. Michael Graham had eight points, 13 rebounds and three blocks. Quinnipiac entered halftime up 36-32. Tice paced the team in scoring in the first half with 10 points. Quinnipiac was outscored by four points in the second half and the teams finished regulation tied 63-63 after two free throws by Aranguren with 38 seconds remaining. Otieno shot 2 of 3 from the field on the way to their six points in the overtime. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
– In a social media exchange on the Bluesky app , AEW star and former AEW World Champion Hangman Page responded to a thread suggesting he run for office. Hangman doesn’t seem particularly enthusiastic about the idea. After he was tagged, Hangman Page wrote, “Shut up GOD. I’m a f**in’ mess, I thought you of all people would know this.” You can view that exchange below: shut up GOD, im a fuckin mess, i thought of all people you would know this — HANGMAN PAGE ( @hangmanpage.bsky.social ) November 21, 2024 at 9:57 AMPolice accused of wasting time by probing ‘hate’ crimes including ‘rough’ haircut and person being called ‘Rottweiler’
Declassified files show the note to former MP John Spellar also said the republican party had ignored the “visceral component of sectarianism” in responding to a new government good relations strategy. Mr Spellar, then a Northern Ireland Office minister, had launched a consultation on the “A Shared Future” document, an attempt to address community divisions, segregation and sectarianism in the region at a time when the devolved powersharing institutions were suspended. A file at the Public Record Office in Belfast shows that OFMDFM official Chris Stewart wrote to the minister in July about a response to the document from Sinn Fein representative Bairbre de Brun. Mr Stewart told Mr Spellar that Ms de Brun’s letter had been critical of the document and was clearly intended to “mark your card”. He said among a number of points raised by de Brun was that “the promotion of equality is the key to improving community relations”. His memo adds: “Sinn Fein is clearly seeking to position or align the issue of community relations within its equality and human rights agenda. “This general Sinn Fein position has resulted in a simplistic analysis of community relations, which is flawed in its description of the causes and necessary policy response. “There is of course, no doubt that a lack of equality has been a contributing factor to poor community relations. “However, Sinn Fein ignores the many other factors, not least the violent conflict that resulted in over 3,000 deaths. “Sinn Fein also portrays poor community relations (for nationalists) as being a purely rational response to the political situation. “This ignores the more visceral component of sectarianism, which is all too prevalent in both communities.” Mr Stewart continues: “To suggest, as Sinn Fein does, that the promotion of equality should be the key component of good relations policy is to ignore the key message in A Shared Future, that indirect approaches alone are insufficient to deal with sectarianism and the abnormal relationship between sections of the Northern Ireland community.” The official recommended the minister invite representatives of Sinn Fein to a meeting to discuss the policy. The file also contains a note about Mr Spellar’s meeting with DUP representatives Maurice Morrow and Peter Weir the following month to discuss the document. The note says: “Morrow said he had no problem with sharing the future and suggested that the first step to that would be an election to decide who spoke for whom – though he was quick to say he didn’t want politics to dominate the meeting.” It adds: “Weir said that the biggest step towards improving community relations would be the creation of a political environment that had the broad support of both unionism and nationalism, and the GFA (Good Friday Agreement) could not create that environment.”
South Africa is concerned about the violence in Mozambique and calls on all parties to engage in political dialogue, the South African Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated. According to the statement, South Africa is ready to assist Mozambique in any manner to facilitate this dialogue, saying that the country's government "will continue working with SADC and other multilateral agencies in supporting a lasting solution to the current impasse." Opposition protests began in Mozambique immediately after the electoral commission announced preliminary results of the presidential and parliamentary elections held on October 9.Normalcy returns in Kashmir after snow-led disruptions; Haryana, Rajasthan continue to shiver
R&B artist, Khalid, proudly announced his sexuality to his fans by declaring on social media: "I am not ashamed of my sexuality!" He came out in an initial tweet on X (formerly Twitter), posting a rainbow flag and commenting, "there yall go. next topic please lol." Prompted by a reply questioning his orientation with "Wait hope Mr Khalid isn't GEHHH! " he confidently confirmed, "I am! And that's okay." Continuing his online discussions about his sexual identity , Khalid affirmed in another tweet, "I got outted and the world still continues to turn. Let's get this straight (lmao) I am not ashamed of my sexuality! In reality it ain't nobodies business! But I am okay with me [black heart emoji] love yall." Jonathan Bailey thinks Netflix viewers over 40 should be 'forced' to watch this queer show How Gigi Hadid 'offered her support' to ex Zayn Malik after Liam Payne’s death Responses from supporters flew in, with one fan remarking, "the closet was glass baby. but we accept you. its not about who you love its about your artistry! " Khalid echoed this sentiment, retweeting and replying, "I wasn't hiding anything! It's just not any of your business." The conversation didn't stop there; another fan pointed out the implicit message in his dance moves from his 2022 music video for Satellite, suggesting the LGBTQ+ anthem he provided back then, saying, "Then there was the LGBTQ anthem he gave us in 2022 but ya'll kinda slept. Either way.. hate that Khalid was forced out but he wasn't 'hiding' it. He just didn't need to TELL nobody." The Grammy-nominated singer reposted to the fan's comment agreeing and adding, "thank you! ! ! ! I was never hiding." He concluded his social media update with, "aight love yall thank yall I'm off this," accompanied by a peace hand sign emoji. Although Khalid didn't explicitly mention who outed him, his posts appear to be a reaction to now-removed posts from singer Hugo D Almonte, as reported by Vulture. The 28-year-old ignited rumors after making allegations about an ex that he dated and broke up with that lied and accused of breaking into their home. He didn't at first the "dumb a--singer" he was referring to in the since-deleted tweet but then he posted a since-deleted selfie with Khalid looking cozy, confirming the identity with the caption: "B---h a-- [ninja emoji] lied and said that I broke into his house cause I didn’t want him." Singer and producer MNEK responded to Hugo's tweet, stating his actions were “loser Loser LOSER LOSER behaviour." There were other tweets calling out him out as well. In an email statement to Vulture, Hugo defended his actions. He wrote in part: [It’s] really funny how it works because my intentions was never to out someone who’s clearly been out already in the community in Los Angeles. My intentions was to share my story and share how he tried to use his power to silence me because I simply ended our relationship, he was afraid of what I might say." He went on to mention how people have began to "belittle" his person and direct death threats at him. He shared that from this experience, he's "learned from this is never allow anyone to silence me, it’s crazy that these people said I was chasing clout, when I was holding onto this for five years, and I finally had enough." Prior to the email statement, the Que Paso artist had previously posted a lengthy statement which made a similar point as he did not seem apologetic by his tweets. He stated, "if I had a chance to do it all over, I would do it again and again and again the same way.” Support poured in for Khalid following his coming out, with one fan expressing, "Sending you all the love! you are safe here." Another sympathized, "But you should've been able to tell the world on your own time. I'm sorry people are clout chasers." A third supporter remarked, "You never owe anyone any sort of explanation about your sexuality or your private life, I'm sorry that people felt entitled to this. Hope you're doing okay." An additional comment read, "Here's to being able to live authentically as yourself and who you were born to be. We love you, Khalid. Welcome to the cool kids club. Keep inspiring." Khalid first gained attention with his hit single Location in 2016 and released his debut album American Teen the following year. His third studio album, Sincere, dropped in August this year and made its way into the top 10 of Billboard's Top R&B Albums chart in the first week. DAILY NEWSLETTER: Sign up here to get the latest news and updates from the Mirror US straight to your inbox with our FREE newsletter.RICHMOND, Ky. (AP) — Matt Morrissey threw a 67-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Calwise Jr. that ended the scoring midway through the fourth quarter and Eastern Kentucky beat North Alabama 21-15 on Saturday for its fifth straight win. TJ Smith drove North Alabama to the EKU 45-yard line before he threw an interception to Mike Smith Jr. to end the game. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
The confidential briefing note is part of the tranche of documents made public in the annual release of State papers from the Irish National Archives. An Irish Department of Foreign Affairs official focusing on justice and security created the list in October 2002. The document starts by referencing a 1999 interview given by George Mitchell, the chairman of the Good Friday Agreement negotiations, in which he claimed the British and Irish governments, as well as Northern Ireland’s political parties, had leaked information to manipulate public opinion. However, he further accused the NIO of attempting to sabotage the process by leaking information on British Government policy to the media. Mr Mitchell, a former US senator, is said to have expressed alarm and anger over the frequency of leaks from the NIO – saying they were uniquely “designed to undermine the policy of the British Government of which they were a part”. The Irish civil servant notes Mr Mitchell himself was subjected to an attempted “smear” when he first arrived in Northern Ireland, as newspaper articles falsely claimed his chief of staff Martha Pope had had a liaison with Sinn Fein representative Gerry Kelly with ulterior motives. The Irish civil servant goes on to list several “leaks”, starting with the publication of a proposed deal in a newspaper while “intense negotiations” for the Downing Street Declaration were under way. Next, the Department lists two “high-profile and damaging leaks issued from the NIO”. A so-called “gameplan” document was leaked in February 1998, showing papers had been prepared weeks before the Drumcree march on July 6, 1997. In the preceding years, there had been standoffs and clashes as nationalists opposed the procession of an Orange parade down Garvaghy Road in Portadown. The gameplan document showed then secretary of state for Northern Ireland Mo Mowlam, who was publicly expressing a desire for a negotiated solution to the 1997 parade, advocated “finding the lowest common denominator for getting some Orange feet on the Garvaghy Road”. In 1997, a large number of security forces were deployed to the area to allow the march to proceed. The incident sparked heightened tension and a wave of rioting. The document further describes the release of a document submitted by the NIO’s director of communications to the secretary of state as a “second major leak”. It claims a publicity strategy was released to the DUP in the aftermath of the Good Friday Agreement and showed how the UK Government would support a yes vote in a referendum following any talks agreement. In addition, it is claimed unionists used leaked sections of the Patten report on policing to invalidate its findings ahead of its publication in 1999. The report recommended the replacement of the Royal Ulster Constabulary with the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the changing of symbols, and a 50-50 recruitment policy for Catholics and Protestants. At the time, UUP leader David Trimble said the recommendations would lead to a corruption of policing in Northern Ireland. Chris Patten, chairman of the independent commission on policing, said some of the assertions were a “total fabrication” and designed to “muddy the waters” to create a difficult political atmosphere. Elsewhere, the author notes it was leaked to the media there was serious disagreement between the governments of the UK and Ireland on the composition of that commission – with not a single name submitted by the Irish side being accepted by the other. The author notes this incident, still under the heading “NIO leaks”, was believed by British officials to have emanated from the Irish side. The report turns to leaks of other origin, claiming “disgruntled Special Branch officers in Northern Ireland” were blamed by the British Government for a series of releases about the IRA which were designed to damage Sinn Fein in the 2001 general election in Northern Ireland. One senior Whitehall source was quoted in the Guardian as complaining that Special Branch was “leaking like a sieve” after details of an IRA intelligence database containing the names of leading Tories – described at the time as a “hit list” – was passed to the BBC in April 2002. The briefing note adds: “This was followed days later by a leak to The Sunday Telegraph which alleged that senior IRA commanders bought Russian special forces rifles in Moscow last year. “The newspaper said it was passed details by military intelligence in London.” The briefing note adds that other Special Branch leaks were associated with the Castlereagh break-in. The final incident in the document notes the Police Ombudsman’s Report on the Omagh bombing was also leaked to the press in December 2001. Then Northern Ireland secretary John Reid said at the time: “Leaks are never helpful and usually malicious – I will not be commenting on this report until I have seen the final version.” The reason for creating the list of leaks, which the Irish National Archives holds in a folder alongside briefing notes for ministers ahead of meetings with officials from the UK Government and NIO, is not outlined in the document itself. – This document is based on material in 2024/130/6.
No. 2 Ohio State takes control in the 2nd half and runs over No. 5 Indiana 38-15 COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Will Howard passed for two touchdowns and rushed for another, TreVeyon Henderson ran for a score and No. 2 Ohio State beat previously undefeated No. 5 Indiana 38-15. All Ohio State has to do now is beat Michigan at home next Saturday and it will earn a return to the Big Ten championship game for the first time since 2020 and get a rematch with No. 1 Oregon. The Ducks beat Ohio State 32-31 in a wild one back on Oct. 12. Man City routed 4-0 by Tottenham in fifth-straight defeat as crisis deepens for Pep Guardiola What started as an evening of celebration for Manchester City ended with the four-time defending Premier League champion falling to a fifth-straight loss in all competitions and facing a deepening crisis in a season that is threatening to unravel. A 4-0 defeat to Tottenham left City five points behind league leader Liverpool, having played a game more. Two goals from James Maddison inside 20 minutes at the Etihad Stadium stunned the home crowd. Pedro Porro scored a third for Tottenham after halftime. Brennan Johnson added a fourth in the third minute of stoppage time. City manager Pep Guardiola signed a two-year contract extension this week. Chelsea, Arsenal and Brighton all won and closed the gap on Liverpool to six points. Florida knocks No. 9 Ole Miss out of College Football Playoff contention, 24-17 in the Swamp GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — DJ Lagway threw two touchdown passes, Montrell Johnson ran for 127 yards and a score, and Florida upset No. 9 Mississippi 24-17 on Saturday to knock the Rebels out of College Football Playoff contention. The Gators beat ranked teams in consecutive weeks for the first time since 2008 and became bowl eligible. The late-season spurt provided another vote of confidence for coach Billy Napier, who is expected back for a fourth season. Ole Miss lost for the first time in four games and surely will drop out of the 12-team playoff picture. Jennings has 3 TDs as No. 13 SMU routs Virginia 33-7 to clinch a spot in the ACC title game CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Kevin Jennings threw for a career-high 323 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another, and No. 13 SMU clinched a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game by routing Virginia 33-7. Isaiah Smith and Jared Harrison-Hunte each had two sacks to help the Mustangs extend their winning streak to eight. They would earn an automatic bid into the expanded College Football Playoff by beating 11th-ranked Miami or 17th-ranked Clemson in the ACC title game on Dec. 7 in Charlotte, North Carolina. UVa must beat rival Virginia Tech next week to become bowl eligible. No. 11 Miami pulls away late to beat Wake Forest 42-14 and move one win from the ACC title game MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Cam Ward passed for 280 yards and threw two touchdowns to Jacolby George on another record-breaking day, Mishael Powell ran an interception back 76 yards for a touchdown and No. 11 Miami pulled away late to beat Wake Forest 42-14. The 10-1 Hurricanes can clinch a berth in the ACC title game with a win at Syracuse next weekend. Ward completed 27 of 38 passes, plus ran for a score. Demond Claiborne had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown for 4-7 Wake Forest. No. 24 Illinois stuns Rutgers on Bryant's 40-yard TD reception with 4 seconds left PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Luke Altmyer found Pat Bryant for a catch-and-run, 40-yard touchdown pass with 4 seconds left, sending No. 24 Illinois to a wild 38-31 victory over Rutgers. Illinois was down 31-30 when it sent long kicker Ethan Moczulski out for a desperation 58-yard field goal with 14 seconds to go. Rutgers coach Greg Schiano then called for a timeout right before Moczulski’s attempt was wide left and about 15 yards short. After the missed field goal was waved off by the timeout, Illinois coach Bret Bielema sent his offense back on the field. Altmyer hit Bryant on an in cut on the left side at the 22, and he continued across the field and scored untouched. Andy Murray will coach Novak Djokovic through the Australian Open Recently retired Andy Murray will team up with Novak Djokovic, working with him as a coach through the Australian Open in January. Murray’s representatives put out statements from both players on Saturday. Djokovic is a 24-time Grand Slam champion who has spent more weeks at No. 1 than any other player in tennis history. Murray won three major trophies and two Olympic singles gold medals who finished 2016 atop the ATP rankings. He retired as a player after the Paris Summer Games in August. Jannik Sinner and Matteo Berrettini lift Italy past Australia and back to the Davis Cup final MALAGA, Spain (AP) — Top-ranked Jannik Sinner and Matteo Berrettini won their singles matches to lift defending champion Italy past Australia 2-0 and back into the Davis Cup final. Sinner extended his tour-level winning streak to 24 sets in a row by beating No. 9 Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-4 on Saturday on an indoor hard court in Malaga, Spain. That came after Berrettini came back to defeat Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-7 (6), 6-3, 7-5. Italy will meet first-time finalist Netherlands on Sunday for the title. The Dutch followed up their victory over Rafael Nadal and Spain in the quarterfinals by eliminating Germany on Friday. Formula 1 expected to expand grid to 11 teams as early as next week for Cadillac to enter in 2026 LAS VEGAS (AP) — Formula 1 is expected to approve grid expansion for an 11th team originally started by Michael Andretti as early as next week. The team will be called Cadillac F1 and powered by Ferrari engines when it enters the sport in 2026. General Motors is expected to complete its own Cadillac power unit ahead of the 2028 season. Multiple industry insiders spoke to The Associated Press about the grid expansion on condition of anonymity because an announcement ahead of Saturday night’s Las Vegas Grand Prix could potentially steal the spotlight from the showcase event on the F1 calendar. Shiffrin wins World Cup slalom and takes quest for her 100th victory to North America GURGL, Austria (AP) — Mikaela Shiffrin has earned her record-extending 99th career World Cup win to take the quest for victory No. 100 to North America. The American ski star held on to her first-run lead in the season’s second slalom to beat Italian prodigy Lara Colturi and Swiss skier Camille Rast. They both got their first career podium result. Shiffrin next enters a 16-day North American sweep of the World Cup starting next weekend. She said “I guess there is a bit of pressure around it.” No other skier has won more than 86 World Cup races. Shiffrin set the best mark when she overtook Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark in March 2023.New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, November 23, said the latest round of elections has endorsed the message of development and defeated the politics of lies and betrayal propounded by the Congress and its allies. Addressing a gathering at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters here, Modi said divisive forces, negative politics and dynasticism have been defeated in the Maharashtra election and by-polls in various states. He said the people of Maharashtra have voted for stability and taught a lesson to those who tried to create instability. The prime minister asserted that the message from the Maharashtra election is that of unity and it is also an endorsement of the “ek hai toh safe hai” slogan. Modi also said he bows down before the people of Jharkhand and that the BJP will work more zealously for the development of the state. “‘Ek hai toh safe hai’ has become the ‘maha-mantra’ for the entire nation and it has punished those who wanted to divide the country on caste and religious lines,” he said, adding that all sections of the society have voted for the BJP. “The Congress and its ecosystem had thought that by spreading lies in the name of the Constitution, they could divide the Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) into small groups. This is a solid slap on their faces,” he said. “People have made divisive forces bite the dust. The Congress and its allies have failed to grasp the changed realities of the country’s mood,” the prime minister added. He asserted that voters do not want instability and they believe in nation first and do not like those dreaming about “chair first”. The voters in Maharashtra also evaluated Congress based on the false promises made in other states like Karnataka, Telangana and Himachal Pradesh, he added. “Neither their false promises nor their dangerous agenda worked in Maharashtra,” Modi said. The prime minister said the Maharashtra election also shows that only one Constitution will work in India and that was given to the people of the country by B R Ambedkar. The Congress and its allies were again trying to create a wall of Article 370 of the Constitution in Jammu and Kashmir, he said. “I want to say this to the Congress and its allies that no force in the world can bring back Article 370 and insult our Constitution,” Modi said. He said the Congress and its allies were double-faced on various issues, including the Waqf Board.
Declassified files show the note to former MP John Spellar also said the republican party had ignored the “visceral component of sectarianism” in responding to a new government good relations strategy. Mr Spellar, then a Northern Ireland Office minister, had launched a consultation on the “A Shared Future” document, an attempt to address community divisions, segregation and sectarianism in the region at a time when the devolved powersharing institutions were suspended. A file at the Public Record Office in Belfast shows that OFMDFM official Chris Stewart wrote to the minister in July about a response to the document from Sinn Fein representative Bairbre de Brun. Mr Stewart told Mr Spellar that Ms de Brun’s letter had been critical of the document and was clearly intended to “mark your card”. He said among a number of points raised by de Brun was that “the promotion of equality is the key to improving community relations”. His memo adds: “Sinn Fein is clearly seeking to position or align the issue of community relations within its equality and human rights agenda. “This general Sinn Fein position has resulted in a simplistic analysis of community relations, which is flawed in its description of the causes and necessary policy response. “There is of course, no doubt that a lack of equality has been a contributing factor to poor community relations. “However, Sinn Fein ignores the many other factors, not least the violent conflict that resulted in over 3,000 deaths. “Sinn Fein also portrays poor community relations (for nationalists) as being a purely rational response to the political situation. “This ignores the more visceral component of sectarianism, which is all too prevalent in both communities.” Mr Stewart continues: “To suggest, as Sinn Fein does, that the promotion of equality should be the key component of good relations policy is to ignore the key message in A Shared Future, that indirect approaches alone are insufficient to deal with sectarianism and the abnormal relationship between sections of the Northern Ireland community.” The official recommended the minister invite representatives of Sinn Fein to a meeting to discuss the policy. The file also contains a note about Mr Spellar’s meeting with DUP representatives Maurice Morrow and Peter Weir the following month to discuss the document. The note says: “Morrow said he had no problem with sharing the future and suggested that the first step to that would be an election to decide who spoke for whom – though he was quick to say he didn’t want politics to dominate the meeting.” It adds: “Weir said that the biggest step towards improving community relations would be the creation of a political environment that had the broad support of both unionism and nationalism, and the GFA (Good Friday Agreement) could not create that environment.”TORONTO — Broad-based gains led Canada’s main stock index to close higher in the shortened Christmas Eve trading session, while U.S. stock markets also rose. The S&P/TSX composite index ended up 97.84 points at 24,846.82, as most sectors rose other than telecoms and health care. In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 390.08 points at 43,297.03. The S&P 500 index was up 65.97 points at 6,040.04, while the Nasdaq composite was up 266.24 points at 20,031.13. The gains added to increases in recent days to help offset the drop in markets last week after the U.S. Federal Reserve released its latest outlook. The climb however was more likely related to year-end balancing than any change in sentiment, said Dustin Reid, chief fixed income strategist at Mackenzie Investments. “I think it’s mostly just year-end flows that are driving it. I don’t think there’s anything that’s particularly reversed in terms of sentiments since the Fed meeting,” said Reid. There’s reallocation by geography, moving asset classes and other adjustments to align portfolios that is likely affecting markets, he said. “I find that price action around month end, quarter end, and year-end, you shouldn’t try and ascribe a ton of fundamental cause as to why things are moving, because there’s a lot of flows happening below the surface that are probably driving the price action that are not necessarily fundamentally based.” The U.S. Fed guided for only two rate cuts in 2025 at its Dec. 18 meeting, which pushed down markets for the day. But Reid said the guidance was largely in line with expectations, and the strong U.S. economy has likely since helped boost markets. The Canadian market, meanwhile, might be benefiting a little from the expectations of even more rate cuts needed here than expected as the economy is showing softness. On Monday, Statistics Canada said its early estimate for November suggests real GDP for the month edged 0.1 per cent lower for the first drop this year. “The negative flash print for November really suggests that the bank is going to have a fair bit more work to do,” said Reid. “I think that the market is not pricing in enough easing for calendar ’25 for the Bank of Canada.” There was no economic data releases Tuesday to sway markets, he said. The Canadian dollar traded for 69.51 cents US compared with 69.47 cents US on Monday. The February crude oil contract was up 86 cents at US$70.10 per barrel and the February natural gas contract was up 16 cents at US$3.50 per mmBTU. The February gold contract ended up US$7.30 at US$2,635.50 an ounce and the March copper contract was up two cents at US$4.11 a pound.NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 29, 2024-- Halper Sadeh LLC, an investor rights law firm, is investigating whether the merger of Better Choice Company Inc. (NYSE American: BTTR) and SRx Health Solutions Inc. is fair to Better Choice shareholders. Upon completion of the proposed transaction, Better Choice shareholders will own approximately 15% of the combined company. Halper Sadeh encourages Better Choice shareholders to click here to learn more about their legal rights and options or contact Daniel Sadeh or Zachary Halper at (212) 763-0060 or sadeh@halpersadeh.com or zhalper@halpersadeh.com . The investigation concerns whether Better Choice and its board violated the federal securities laws and/or breached their fiduciary duties to shareholders by failing to, among other things: (1) obtain the best possible consideration for Better Choice shareholders; and (2) disclose all material information necessary for Better Choice shareholders to adequately assess and value the merger consideration. On behalf of Better Choice shareholders, Halper Sadeh LLC may seek increased consideration for shareholders, additional disclosures and information concerning the proposed transaction, or other relief and benefits. We would handle the action on a contingent fee basis, whereby you would not be responsible for out-of-pocket payment of our legal fees or expenses. Halper Sadeh LLC represents investors all over the world who have fallen victim to securities fraud and corporate misconduct. Our attorneys have been instrumental in implementing corporate reforms and recovering millions of dollars on behalf of defrauded investors. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241229018924/en/ CONTACT: Halper Sadeh LLC Daniel Sadeh, Esq. Zachary Halper, Esq. (212) 763-0060 sadeh@halpersadeh.com zhalper@halpersadeh.com https://www.halpersadeh.com KEYWORD: NEW YORK UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT PROFESSIONAL SERVICES LEGAL SOURCE: Halper Sadeh LLC Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/29/2024 10:47 AM/DISC: 12/29/2024 10:46 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241229018924/en
Camara 8-13 0-0 21, Jones 2-3 0-0 4, Kelly 10-18 0-0 20, Berry 1-7 4-4 7, R.Johnson 8-14 4-6 23, Gibson 1-2 0-1 2, Oden 2-6 0-0 6. Totals 32-63 8-11 83. B.Johnson 7-13 3-5 23, Kidd 4-8 1-1 9, Bethea 3-8 0-0 6, Blackmon 4-11 0-0 9, Staton-McCray 4-8 3-4 13, Swartz 4-6 4-4 15, Cleveland 1-2 0-0 2, Djobet 1-2 0-0 2, Ugochukwu 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 28-59 11-14 79. Halftime_Charleston Southern 45-37. 3-Point Goals_Charleston Southern 11-24 (Camara 5-10, R.Johnson 3-6, Oden 2-4, Berry 1-3, Kelly 0-1), Miami 12-33 (B.Johnson 6-12, Swartz 3-4, Staton-McCray 2-4, Blackmon 1-8, Cleveland 0-1, Djobet 0-1, Ugochukwu 0-1, Bethea 0-2). Rebounds_Charleston Southern 31 (Kelly 11), Miami 27 (B.Johnson 8). Assists_Charleston Southern 15 (Kelly 6), Miami 16 (Kidd, Djobet 4). Total Fouls_Charleston Southern 14, Miami 14. A_3,244 (8,000).Michigan, Ohio State fight broken up with police pepper spray after Wolverines stun Buckeyes 13-10
Trump, US to undergo creative destruction?
Sinn Fein ‘ignored role of 3,000 deaths in damaging community relations’Christmas arrives in three days. Merry Christmas! Recently I wondered how much I knew about Christmastime. Turns out, not so much. The greeting, “Merry Christmas,” comes from Charles Dickens’ "Christmas Carol," the story of old Scrooge who represented traditional England to the author who was a major revivalist of Christmas in the 1840s. Early Christians certainly remembered the birth of Christ, but not the date. How did it end up on Dec. 25? There are many theories. Here are three: Early Christians refused to celebrate the Roman pagan holiday of Saturnalia, the winter solstice that occurred from Dec. 17-22. Their refusal to celebrate a big holiday might have led to persecution so they decided to celebrate the birth of Jesus instead. Later, in AD 274, the Roman emperor Aurelian decreed a new holiday to replace Saturnalia: Solis Invicti, the birthday of the unconquerable sun. That occurred on Dec. 25. Christians conformed. Finally, at some early point, the Annunciation, the angel’s announcement to Mary that she was pregnant, was set on March 25. Dec. 25 comes nine months later, obviously. So is Christmas a pagan holiday? No. But it had pagan roots. Today we’re in the final days of Advent. That’s a month before Christmas. In olden days it was a vigil, a time of fasting and Bible reading ending on Christmas Eve. I grew up with Advent calendars. Every day we opened a window on the cardboard calendar and read part of the Biblical Christmas story. Christmas Day was a day of celebration, a day that signified God’s gift to humankind. So gift-giving became a central part of the celebration. Wealth slowly grew after the Middle Ages and the commercial side of Christmas came into competition with the religious side. That was a concern way back in 1850 when Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote a popular story that complained about it. Today, Christmas is the major retail event of the year. For many retailers, the year’s profits come in December. After Christmas Day came the Twelve Days of Christmas, now largely forgotten except for the carol describing gifts given by “my true love.” Each day honored a saint. Epiphany, signifying the arrival of the Magi who gave gifts to the Christ child, was celebrated on the Twelfth Night (also known as “Christmastide”). This was the original day of gift-giving, but with industrialization and urbanization 12 days of feasts and celebrations was too much to ask of the new leaders of society, so that tradition died out. But traces survive. Many manger scenes and crèches add the Three Wise Men on Epiphany. Cakes were part of the celebrations so today, Germans still cook stollen, Italians cook panettone, and Mexicans cook the Rosca de Reyes. Often, a bean or pea is hidden in the cake and the person who receives it becomes celebrated in some way. Before the arrival of sugar, cakes were sweetened using fruits. That’s the source of the legendary Christmas fruit cake. Here’s an obscure fact about Epiphany: In England, religious skeptics had their own celebration and the one who got the bean became the Lord of Misrule. He or she presided over a night of revelry that I can’t describe in this family-friendly history. The Christmas season officially ended after Epiphany. Christmas trees and decorations were taken down on the next day. The Christmas tree tradition came from Germany. They noted that the tree had a triangle form suggesting the Trinity. They decorated an evergreen tree with apples at first. So that established the three colors of Christmas: green, red and white (for snow). St. Nicholas was a Christian bishop of Myra, a town in southwest Turkey today. He was wealthy, but had a good heart. The tradition is that there was a family so poor that the three daughters had no dowries and were doomed to become prostitutes. Not to embarrass them, Nicholas dropped three bags of gold coins down their chimney to save them from their fates. On the last drop, some socks were hanging over the coals to dry and the bag landed in a sock. That is the source of Christmas stockings. Many stockings today still contain some chocolate gold coins. Have a happy “holiday” (a term meant to include Hanukkah). Jack Batson is a former member of the Fairfield City Council. Reach him by email at jsbatson@prodigy.net .