COLUMBUS, Ohio — Looking at Ohio State's schedule at the start of the season, the game against Indiana in late November didn't stand out. The Hoosiers haven't been a contender in the Big Ten for decades and were terrible last year, so it was logical to think about this game as a throwaway, one that wouldn't require a lot of heavy lifting for the Buckeyes as they schemed for revenge against Michigan the following week. Instead, the college football world will get a treat instead of a dud on Saturday when undefeated No. 5 Indiana plays No. 2 Ohio State at the Horseshoe, a place where the Hoosiers haven't won a game since Ronald Reagan was president. Indiana (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten, No. 5 CFP) is one the most uplifting stories of the season. Behind Ohio University transfer quarterback Kurtis Rourke, the Hoosiers are enjoying their best season since 1967 when they finished 9-2 and shared the Big Ten title with Purdue and Minnesota. People are also reading... They haven't even sniffed a conference crown since. The Buckeyes (9-1, 6-1, No. 2 CFP) are doing what they were expected to do. Their only stumble this season was a nail-biter of a 32-31 loss to now-No. 1 Oregon. Ohio State hasn't dropped below No. 4 in the AP Top 25 all season. "We saw Indiana becoming a big game, now a Top 5 matchup," Ohio State coach Ryan Day said this week. “Our guys are fired up for this one and know this is a must-win for us. We’ve got to go win this game to play in Indianapolis (in the Big Ten championship). I know the team, the coaches, everybody in this building, the fans know what kind of game this is, and we’ve got to bring it on Saturday.” Oregon has already clinched one of the spots in the conference title game. If Indiana beats Ohio State — the only nationally ranked team on its schedule this year — and closes out the season with a win over Purdue, the Hoosiers will be in the Big Ten championship for the first time since the inception of the game in 2011. If Ohio State wins out, it will return to the conference title game for the first time since the pandemic-shortened 2020 season — and get a rematch with the Ducks. Ohio State has a 28-game winning streak against Indiana, dating back to 1991. That's the longest active winning streak of one team over another in Division I football. Plug and play Ohio State has enjoyed an embarrassment of wealth at skill positions. Last week it was receiver Carnell Tate who caught two touchdowns from Will Howard in the 31-7 win over Northwestern. True freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith has a TD catch in all but two games this season and leads the team with 865 receiving yards and nine scores. Four-year player Emeka Egbuka is right behind him with 612 yards and eight TDs. Running backs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson have combined for 1,388 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. “The thing about this team here is that they’re not worried about individual accolades or anything like this, especially late in the season,” Day said. “They’re focused on winning, and they want to play for each other. And when you have that, you have a chance.” Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Steelers QB Russell Wilson is spreading the wealth on offenseAs a Communist Party member in Calgary in the early 1940s, Frank Hadesbeck performed clerical work at the party office, printed leaflets and sold books. But he also had tasks his party comrades could know nothing about: snooping on mail, copying phone numbers from scratch pads and rummaging through waste baskets. Hadesbeck, known to his RCMP handlers as agent 810, would pass along any information he could glean to the national police force. His lengthy tenure as a paid informant for the Mounties’ security branch is chronicled in “A Communist for the RCMP” by Dennis Gruending, a former New Democrat MP who has worked as a journalist and authored several books. Before the First World War, Hadesbeck’s family left what was then southern Hungary for Canada, settling in Saskatchewan. Frank had a difficult childhood. He was orphaned at age 11, worked on farms, spent time in the United States, and did a number of jobs in the Regina area in the 1930s. He was among the Canadians who volunteered to fight on the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War against Gen. Francisco Franco. Hadesbeck was alone, broke and looking for work in Alberta when the RCMP recruited him as an informant, on condition he join the Communist Party to establish a cover. Several days later, he was fingerprinted, weighed and photographed at an RCMP office. “My contact said I was not an informer or a stool pigeon or a snitch as other informers were classified,” Hadesbeck recorded in his notes. “I was part of a team on a monthly salary, plus expenses and was given a number.” The RCMP has always jealously guarded information about its sources, even decades after events, Gruending writes. He formally requested Hadesbeck’s file through the Access to Information Act, but an official would neither confirm nor deny such records exist. However, Hadesbeck thoroughly documented his efforts for the RCMP over the decades. Gruending acquired a box of his papers through an acquaintance, and managed to corroborate and flesh out many of Hadesbeck’s claims. The files contain the names of hundreds of people on so-called Watch Out lists — individuals of interest to RCMP security officials who grew increasingly concerned about the perceived menace of Communism during the Cold War. The records also describe in detail how Hadesbeck operated as an agent, his dealings with handlers, and his thoughts about the ethics and wisdom of his double life, Gruending notes. RCMP security officials wanted information on people they considered subversive, but were not interested in understanding why those individuals were critical of the existing economic and political system, the book says. Hadesbeck appeared to have a clear sense of his mission. “I soon realized that I was being paid to collect information only, not to think about why they wanted all this information about people who I thought were honest Canadian citizens.” Hadesbeck would meet a handler every couple of weeks, often in a hotel room. The officer typically provided names and photos of people of interest, and told him to make discreet inquiries. The RCMP’s cash payments supplemented the salary from his steady job, from the early 1950s on, at a Regina company that salvaged old tractors. Hadesbeck’s notes and Watch Out lists from the 1950s point to RCMP suspicions about Communist control of the peace movement. Socialist trailblazer Tommy Douglas, who attended numerous peace-related events, turned up alongside dozens of others on Watch Out lists. A handwritten list labelled the Canadian Peace Conference and Voice of Women as Communist Party fronts. Douglas was premier of Saskatchewan and went on to lead the federal New Democratic Party, but Gruending contends the RCMP did not bother much with distinctions between Communists and social democrats. “The force continued to believe that Douglas was secretly a Communist, or at least was unduly influenced by them.” Indeed, a multi-volume RCMP file on Douglas of more than 1,100 pages came to light through Access to Information in 2006. Hadesbeck scribbled half a dozen notes about writer Farley Mowat, another subject of curiosity for the security service. Many prominent Canadians appeared on his Watch Out lists, including author Pierre Berton, journalist June Callwood, musician Stompin’ Tom Connors, Liberal cabinet ministers Walter Gordon and Herb Gray, and broadcaster Adrienne Clarkson — who would later be governor general. Gruending says Hadesbeck not only routinely betrayed Communist Party members, but was reckless in passing along information about many other people. “Often, he implied that they might be party members when they were not,” he writes. Sometimes such scrutiny could have serious consequences. People deemed suspect by the RCMP were harassed, denied employment and promotions, or even fired from government, unions, the media and academia, Gruending notes. Gay and lesbian members of the Canadian Armed Forces, the RCMP and the public service were among those targeted. “Careers were ruined and lives shattered.” At a November gathering in Ottawa to promote the book, Gruending said he was left with mixed feelings about Hadesbeck, “and I think he was somewhat conflicted in the way he felt about the people that he was surveilling.” “I have a good deal of sympathy towards him, but ultimately, he betrayed a lot of people.” In September 1976, Hadesbeck was invited to a meeting at a Regina Holiday Inn with several RCMP officers. He was told his career as an informant was over. “I had to sign a paper, but got no copy for myself, that I would keep my connections with the security force secret and not contact them again in any way,” Hadesbeck’s notes say. He was handed 15 $100 bills as a parting bonus. Even so, Hadesbeck supplied information to the RCMP until 1977, and occasionally for a few more years. “Hadesbeck’s behaviour is difficult to understand because he found his abrupt dismissal to be traumatic,” the book says. “He believed that he deserved, and had been promised, a pension when he retired.” Hadesbeck seemed eager to tell his story in the 1980s, but plans for a book fell through. He died in 2006, shortly after turning 100. In his later jottings, Hadesbeck tried to portray himself as a patriot and anti-Communist, but the pronouncements seem half-hearted, Gruending writes. “It is easy to see Hadesbeck as deceitful, cynical and self-serving. He did not become an informant for ideological reasons or as an act of patriotism. He did it for the money and perhaps a sense of power and excitement.”MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 20, 2024-- Leap Financial today announced a $3.5 million seed raise led by Fuel Venture Capital , with investment in the Miami-based fintech startup coming from Ascendo Venture Capital. Leap provides a seamless service that allows financial and non-financial institutions to participate in cross-border money flows, eliminating inefficiencies and helping immigrants send money home. Leap specializes in embedded remittances and embedded payments, offering AI-enhanced engagement, efficient cross-border transactions, and integrated end-to-end payment solutions. Leap Financial combines its proprietary X-Border Payments Platform with a Native AI super agent (Lola) and its existing embedded financial banking and payment services infrastructure. Leap is the leading contender in embedded digital remittances, transforming how traditional cross-border transfers work to remove cash from the equation and leverage more secure, compliant and cost-effective digital remittances. While traditional money transmitters average 6-10% on the total cost of remittance, Leap provides remittances under 1% of the cost, leaving the difference for partners to decide the price. "Many companies attempt to tackle remittance and fintech, but they often excel in technology while lacking the necessary financial expertise,” said Maggie Vo, Managing General Partner and Chief Investment Officer for Fuel Venture Capital. “Leap stands out with their team’s deep understanding of remittance, banking infrastructure, and compliance—knowledge that the founders have built over many years in the industry. We don’t just invest in good tech and AI, we see the future in Leap’s AI-driven approach, supported by experienced professionals who ultimately know this business inside and out." “Leap was founded to help immigrants overcome disparity and change the 100-year-old ways that allow incumbents to take 10% cuts for check cashing services, 5% for simple international money transfers or drain bank accounts with shady fees from hard-working people who barely make a living,” said Lionel Carrasco, CEO and Co-Founder of Leap. “We can do better than that and still be able to make profits. Like Jeff Bezos’s famous quote, ‘Your margin is my opportunity,’ we say, ‘Your inefficiency is our opportunity.’” The capital raised will help Leap respond to the growing demand and new customers generated by its strategic partnership with Mastercard and additional business development activity. Leap will also use new resources to acquire talent to boost its AI component, making it easy for any financial or nonfinancial services organization to employ AI agents to provide personalized services. “As an immigrant myself, Leap’s vision to help immigrants send money back to their loved ones truly resonates with me, and I understand the unique challenges faced in this space and by immigrants from emerging markets who are trying to assist their families," adds Vo. Founded by Lionel Carrasco and Marcela Henao, Leap partnered with federal banks to originate remittances leveraging Mastercard and aggregators to send money to debit cards and wallets globally, removing intermediaries and creating cost efficiencies, all while enhancing anti-money laundering controls for maximum and frictionless compliance. Leap provides a white label solution that allows remitters to pay with digital methods and instantly deliver money to cards and wallets with full regulatory compliance, making the ecosystem more resilient to bad actors. About Fuel Venture Capital Fuel Venture Capital is committed to propelling groundbreaking ideas into world-changing companies and democratizing access to the creative economy to shape the future of society. A core team leads the firm's "founder-focused, investor-driven" approach with over 100 years of combined experience in investment banking, wealth management, executive leadership, and entrepreneurship. The fund boasts a portfolio of 34 companies based around the globe across numerous sectors, bringing positive impact to virtually all corners of our modern economy. To learn more about Fuel VC, visit fuelventurecapital.com . Follow Fuel VC on social media via Twitter , Instagram , and LinkedIn . About Leap Financial Leap Financial is at the forefront of fintech innovation, seamlessly integrating generative AI to revolutionize financial service delivery. Specializing in embeddable instant domestic and cross-border payments, conversational AI agents, and comprehensive end-to-end payment and co-branded banking solutions, we empower businesses to elevate their financial interactions and customer experience. Our mission is to drive a new era of inclusive financial technology, enabling companies to “Leap” forward in today’s dynamic landscape. For more information, visit leapfinancial.com . View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241219265861/en/ Jared Shapiro, Managing Director - The Tag Experiencejared@thetagexperience.com KEYWORD: FLORIDA LATIN AMERICA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: PAYMENTS FINANCE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE BANKING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TECHNOLOGY FINTECH DIGITAL CASH MANAGEMENT/DIGITAL ASSETS SOURCE: Fuel Venture Capital Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/20/2024 01:30 PM/DISC: 12/20/2024 01:28 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241219265861/enThis story is part of the November 24 edition of Sunday Life. See all 14 stories . I’m back in the saddle to test-drive four non-invasive skin treatments. First, and least ouchy, is Emface, which is a muscle workout for the face which also uses radiofrequency to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin fibres. The Emface applicators are placed on the cheeks and the forehead, and the energy emitted stimulates the muscles to contract. At first, the sensation feels quite sharp but after a couple of pulses it becomes relaxing. The sessions last 20 minutes and four are recommended at a total cost of around $4000. The results? A more defined jawline, slimmer face, lifted brows, reduced wrinkles and improved skin texture. Try it in Melbourne at ODE and in Sydney at Platinum Dermatology . From least invasive to most, the skincare treatments that could be an alternative to botox. Credit: iStock Next, the NeoGen treatment is also radiofrequency-based and requires between one and six treatments, starting from $425 per session. It smooths fine lines, helps reduce pigmentation and stimulates collagen production. According to the MZ website, NeoGen “uses ultra-high radiofrequency to ionise medical-grade nitrogen gas from a pressurised cylinder, creating nitrogen plasma in the nozzle which delivers a controlled pulse of thermal energy” to the skin. You can dial this treatment up or down depending on your pain threshold as the level of energy delivered to the skin determines the depth of penetration and associated levels of tightening and resurfacing. Results improve over several months. Try it at MZ in Sydney and in Melbourne at Aesthet Studio . Sofwave is a one-shot wonder as it lifts brows and loose neck skin as well as improving facial lines and skin texture. First up is the application of a topical numbing cream for half an hour. The fractional heating stimulates the production of new collagen and elastin, which leads to a reduction in fine lines and wrinkles. A full-face treatment takes 45 minutes, costs about $4000 and is long-lasting, with results continuing to improve over the following 12 weeks. Try it at All Saint Skin in Sydney and at Skinline in Melbourne. Finally, we have the Alma Hybrid Laser for skin tightening and resurfacing using fractional plasma and radiofrequency technology to target wrinkles, fine lines, scars and uneven skin tone. It costs about $799 for face and $660 for neck and improves skin elasticity and stimulates collagen production, making it perfect for my tired neck. The treatment creates micro-injuries to the skin, initiating the body’s natural healing response and stimulating collagen and elastin production. Numbing cream is essential as this does hurt, especially over the bony bits of the face. It takes roughly an hour, and skin can be a little red post treatment, with some flaking. Results take a couple of months to come to fruition, but then it lasts and lasts. Try it at The Clinic in Sydney and in Melbourne at the Dermatology Institute of Victoria . ASK STEPH How do I tame flyaway hair during the hot, humid summer months? For hair that is parched and riddled with frizz, the secret to smoothness is to add moisture. Key ingredients to combat flyaways are hyaluronic acid, argan oil, jojoba oil and shea butter. Try Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair Strengthening Treatment Oil ($50) and watch it work its magic on dry, damaged and colour-treated hair. Send questions via Instagram, @mrssdarling. Get the best of Sunday Life magazine delivered to your inbox every Sunday morning. Sign up here for our free newsletter . Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. License this article Sunday Life Skincare Trends Stephanie Darling is Sunday Life's beauty director. Connect via email . Most Viewed in Lifestyle Loading
ITV I'm A Celeb's Coleen Rooney sends sweet message to sons in family admissionATLANTA (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. 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. 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.”
Two Second Cup café locations at Montreal’s Jewish General Hospital have been shut down after the reported franchise owner was filmed making Nazi references at a pro-Palestinian protest on Thursday. The CEO of Foodtastic, which owns the Second Cup coffee chain, confirmed the news in an interview with The Gazette on Sunday. The franchisee, identified by Foodtastic employees as Mai Abdulhadi, was recorded outside Concordia University giving the Nazi salute and appearing to tell pro-Israel counter-protesters: “The final solution is coming your way — the final solution. You know what the final solution is?” The phrase, infamous for its association with Nazi Germany’s plan to exterminate Jews, sparked immediate outrage on social media. Foodtastic CEO Peter Mammas said Sunday morning that the company acted swiftly to address the incident. “We found out at around 2 o’clock on Saturday afternoon,” Mammas said, adding he was watching Gladiator II in the theatre with his kids at the time. Given the magnitude of the incident, he said, the company moved quickly to then review video evidence and speak to employees and people on the ground to verify the allegations. “The final solution is coming your way.” Today in Montreal, a masked extremist, supposedly on strike, violently threatens a Jewish bystander, using Nazi terminology, demonstrating their intent to import the intifada here and kill Jews. This public hate speech, inciting... pic.twitter.com/XyB1hT601Z “We actually talked to her as well. We basically said: ‘Listen, we cannot allow this to happen.’ We spoke to our lawyers, and we prepared a press release. We could not send out the press release for a few hours, until the lawyers actually sent her a termination letter,” Mammas explained. He said Abdulhadi did not explicitly confirm the allegations during their discussions, but “didn’t deny it, either.” She is now seeking legal counsel, Mammas added. Abdulhadi and her family members are listed as business owners in Quebec’s registry, with the business’s primary sector of activity listed as takeaway services and coffee counters. One of her family members was featured in Second Cup’s 2015 annual report. Attempts to reach Abdulhadi for comment were unsuccessful by the time of publication. Second Cup first announced the termination of the franchisee via a social media statement on Saturday, emphasizing its “zero tolerance for hate speech” and its commitment to inclusion and community values. Official Statement pic.twitter.com/7gSUjcjAJZ Reflecting on the situation, Mammas said the company stands completely against such “violent and hateful” remarks. “Political views are up to individuals, but things like this? We can’t tolerate that.” The two affected Second Cup locations have since been closed, with Foodtastic planning to bring them under temporary corporate ownership. “We’re going to figure out a way to reopen the stores quickly,” Mammas said, adding the roughly 12 employees at the locations will continue to be paid during the transition. Mammas said the response to the company’s decision has been “overwhelmingly positive,” including support from franchisees of diverse backgrounds. However, he added, he had seen some negative responses online, including “silly” threats like breaking Second Cup windows. Carl Thériault, a spokesperson for the Jewish General Hospital, said in a statement Sunday the hospital was made aware of the videos relating to one of its franchisees and “fully supports” Second Cup’s decision. “This video is related to a franchisee of Second Cup, one of the private tenants operating within the Jewish General Hospital. We fully support Second Cup’s decision to take swift and decisive action in this matter by shutting down the franchisee’s cafés and terminating their lease agreement,” Thériault said. He added: “Our CIUSSS is deeply committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and stands firmly against antisemitism and any other form of discrimination or hate speech.” The incident comes amid heightened tensions in Montreal following a series of protests. Thursday’s pro-Palestinian demonstration saw students march through downtown Montreal in protest of Israel’s military actions in Gaza, which they say their universities are complicit in. On Friday, a pro-Palestinian, anti-NATO protest escalated into violent clashes , with two vehicles set ablaze, windows smashed and three arrests made. Montreal police said Sunday further arrests may follow concerning Friday’s protest. In regards to the Nazi reference, police said no hate crime investigation is underway, as “we have not received any complaints yet.”Global airports face several challenges due to capacity crunches, as passenger demand exceeds infrastructure and operational capabilities in many countries. Excessive passenger volumes have led to long queues at check-in counters, security checkpoints, immigration desks, and boarding gates in many airports. Overburdened runways and taxiways cause bottlenecks, leading to take-off and landing delays. Delays at one airport often disrupt schedules across interconnected flight networks. Limited gate availability will result in aircraft delays, as they have to wait for gates to free up, adding to turnaround times. Another major challenge due to airport capacity constraints is baggage handling. Overloaded systems will invariably lead to lost or delayed luggage. Recently, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) warned that the airport capacity crunch is threatening the freedom for people to travel, and constraining economies. With little prospect for airport infrastructure to fully keep pace with growing demand, IATA released a ‘white paper’ including proposals for how slot regulations must incentivise airports to generate more capacity from existing infrastructure. The number of airports unable to fully meet the demand for air connectivity and requiring slot coordination using the IATA Worldwide Airport Slot Guidelines has already grown to nearly 400 worldwide. If current trends prevail, this number could grow by 25% over the next decade. An example of the severe consequences of this growing problem is evident in Europe where Airports Council International (ACI) Europe expects that airport infrastructure will be unable to meet up to 12% of demand in 2050. With large scale airport developments, especially new runways, unlikely to be built due to political constraints, this will further undermine Europe’s competitiveness which, as the Draghi report has concluded, is already significantly under-performing. It is therefore vital that airports deploy best practice to deliver as much capacity from existing infrastructure as possible. “The only cure for insufficient capacity is construction. But as long as large-scale endeavors such as building new runways or terminals remain politically out-of-reach in many parts of the world, we must squeeze every last unit of capacity out of the infrastructure we have. Some airports set strong benchmarks for maximising capacity, but too many fail to follow the guidance in the Worldwide Airport Slot Guidelines,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s senior vice-president for Operations, Safety and Security. The newly published IATA white paper on airport slots calls for stronger obligations on the part of airports to maximise capacity. “Under the slot regulations, airlines are obliged to utilise the slots they are granted efficiently or face penalties for cancelling flights, or not operating to schedule. But airports face no penalties if they don’t deliver promised capacity. They have little pressure to meet global benchmarks on efficiency. “Moreover, there is often insufficient transparency for the capacity declarations that they do make. This needs a major rebalancing so that airports and airlines are equally obliged to maximise the potential social and economic value of airport capacity,” said Careen. Specifically, IATA calls for modifications to slot regulations that will hold airports to account if they are not doing enough to create more capacity, including: Requiring airports to review their capacity declarations on a regular basis, and implementing a meaningful capacity consultation process, to ensure greater transparency and reveal where potential capacity increases are being neglected. Obligations to improve and increase capacity where possible, benchmarked against global best practice. Consequences if declared capacity is not delivered as promised. “The current airport slots regulations have helped create a global air transport network which delivers ever-increasing connectivity, consumer choice, and cheaper fares. For the slot system to continue growing these benefits, we need performance obligations on airports. “Stronger regulation is needed to close the enormous gap between the best and the mediocre airports in delivering capacity. That will give better service to passengers with greater accessibility to air transport and bring more benefits to the world,” said Careen. Industry experts say airports with huge capacity constraints will not attract airlines and passengers, affecting competitive positioning. Their inability to meet growing passenger demand limits tourism, trade, and economic growth in connected regions. Addressing these challenges, experts point out, requires innovative solutions, such as investing in new technologies like automated check-in and biometric security, expanding infrastructure where feasible, and enhancing collaboration between airlines, airports, and regulatory bodies to optimise airspace and schedules.
The rumor mill is churning with whispers of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, and a recent leak of a purported case for the device has sent tech enthusiasts into a frenzy. This seemingly innocuous accessory has offered a tantalizing glimpse into the design of Samsung’s upcoming flagship, confirming several rumored features and sparking further speculation about what we can expect from the S25 Ultra. This leak comes at a time when anticipation for the Galaxy S25 series is reaching fever pitch. With Samsung expected to unveil the new phones in early 2025, every bit of information, no matter how small, is being scrutinized for clues about what the future holds for the South Korean tech giant’s smartphone lineup. This leaked case, allegedly manufactured by Spigen, a well-known maker of phone accessories, appears to corroborate many of the design changes that have been circulating in the rumor mill. What Does the Leaked Case Reveal? The leaked image showcases a transparent case, typical of Spigen’s “Liquid Crystal” line, designed to protect the S25 Ultra while showcasing its aesthetics. While the case itself isn’t groundbreaking, the cutouts and contours provide valuable insights into the phone’s design. Here’s what we’ve gleaned from this leak: Analyzing the Leak: Implications and Speculations While it’s important to approach leaks with a healthy dose of skepticism, the fact that this case comes from a reputable manufacturer like Spigen lends it a degree of credibility. Case makers often receive early access to device schematics to ensure their products are ready for launch day, suggesting that this design is likely accurate. This leak has fueled further speculation about the S25 Ultra’s features. Some believe the rounded corners hint at a more significant design overhaul, possibly with a thinner profile and lighter weight. Others are intrigued by the potential for MagSafe compatibility, wondering if Samsung will introduce its own ecosystem of magnetic accessories. My Take on the S25 Ultra and the Case Leak Personally, I find the subtle design refinements hinted at by this case leak to be quite exciting. As a long-time Samsung user, I’ve always appreciated the company’s willingness to push the boundaries of smartphone design. The move towards more rounded corners suggests a focus on user comfort, which is a welcome change. I’m particularly intrigued by the possibility of MagSafe compatibility. While I’m not fully invested in Apple’s ecosystem, I can see the appeal of a magnetic attachment system for accessories like wallets and chargers. It would be interesting to see how Samsung might implement this technology and whether it will lead to a new range of Samsung-branded MagSafe accessories. Beyond the Case: What Else Can We Expect from the S25 Ultra? While the case leak provides valuable clues about the S25 Ultra’s design, it’s just one piece of the puzzle. Numerous other rumors and leaks have surfaced in recent months, painting a broader picture of what we can expect from Samsung’s next flagship. Here are some of the key highlights: The leaked Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra case has provided a tantalizing glimpse into the design of Samsung’s upcoming flagship phone. While it’s important to remember that leaks are not always accurate, this particular leak comes from a reputable source and aligns with other rumors circulating online. The case suggests a refined design with rounded corners, a familiar camera layout, and the intriguing possibility of MagSafe compatibility. As we approach the official launch of the S25 series, it’s clear that Samsung is once again poised to push the boundaries of smartphone technology. With a rumored powerful processor, an impressive camera system, and a sleek new design, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is shaping up to be a worthy successor to its predecessors.Black plastic kitchen utensil risks were overstated. But you should still toss them, group says
300 years ago, ships made remarkable journey over land. Now evidence of trip is foundNATO and Ukraine to hold emergency talks after Russia's attack with new hypersonic missileAfter a sprawling hacking campaign exposed the communications of an unknown number of Americans, U.S. cybersecurity officials are advising people to use encryption in their communications. To safeguard against the risks highlighted by the campaign, which originated in China, federal cybersecurity authorities released an extensive list of security recommendations for U.S. telecom companies — such as Verizon and AT&T — that were targeted. The advice includes one tip we can all put into practice with our phones: “Ensure that traffic is end-to-end encrypted to the maximum extent possible.” End-to-end encryption, also known as E2EE, means that messages are scrambled so that only the sender and recipient can see them. If anyone else intercepts the message, all they will see is garble that can't be unscrambled without the key. Law enforcement officials had until now resisted this type of encryption because it means the technology companies themselves won't be able to look at the messages, nor respond to law enforcement requests to turn the data over. Here's a look at various ways ordinary consumers can use end-to-end encryption: Officials said the hackers targeted the metadata of a large number of customers, including information on the dates, times and recipients of calls and texts. They also managed to see the content from texts from a much smaller number of victims. If you're an iPhone user, information in text messages that you send to someone else who also has an iPhone will be encrypted end-to-end. Just look for the blue text bubbles, which indicate that they are encrypted iMessages. The same goes for Android users sending texts through Google Messages. There will be a lock next to the timestamp on each message to indicate the encryption is on. But there's a weakness. When iPhone and Android users text each other, the messages are encrypted only using Rich Communication Services, an industry standard for instant messaging that replaces the older SMS and MMS standards. Apple has noted that RCS messages “aren’t end-to-end encrypted, which means they’re not protected from a third party reading them while they’re sent between devices.” Samsung, which sells Android smartphones, has also hinted at the issue in a footnote at the bottom of a press release last month on RCS, saying, “Encryption only available for Android to Android communication.” To avoid getting caught out when trading texts, experts recommend using encrypted messaging apps. Privacy advocates are big fans of Signal, which applies end-to-end encryption to all messages and voice calls. The independent nonprofit group behind the app promises never to sell, rent or lease customer data and has made its source code publicly available so that it can be audited by anyone to examine it “for security and correctness.” Signal's encryption protocol is so reputable that it has been integrated into rival WhatsApp, so users will enjoy the same level of security protection as Signal, which has a much smaller user base. End-to-end encryption is also the default mode for Facebook Messenger, which like WhatsApp is owned by Meta Platforms. Telegram is an app that can be used for one-on-one conversations, group chats and broadcast “channels" but contrary to popular perception, it doesn't turn on end-to-end encryption by default. Users have to switch on the option. And it doesn’t work with group chats. Cybersecurity experts have warned people against using Telegram for private communications and pointed out that only its opt-in ‘secret chat’ feature is encrypted from end-to-end. The app also has a reputation for being a haven for scammers and criminal activity, highlighted by founder and CEO Pavel Durov's arrest in France. Instead of using your phone to make calls through a wireless cellular network, you can make voice calls with Signal and WhatsApp. Both apps encrypt calls with the same technology that they use to encrypt messages. There are other options. If you have an iPhone you can use Facetime for calls, while Android owners can use the Google Fi service, which are both end-to-end encrypted. The only catch with all these options is that, as with using the chat services to send messages, the person on the other end will also have to have the app installed. WhatsApp and Signal users can customize their privacy preferences in the settings, including hiding an IP address during calls to prevent your general location from being guessed. Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!
Opposition Accuses PDP Govs, NWC Of Plot To Keep Damagun In Office Till 2027NPFL: Rivers United return to summit, Remo Stars fall(The Center Square) – After an Iranian national was arrested on Monday in a Boston suburb for his alleged ties to a terrorist attack that killed three U.S. service members, the town's leaders unanimously voted to pass a sanctuary city ordinance. On Monday, Iranian-born Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi, a resident of Natick, Mass., was charged in federal court in Boston "with conspiring to export sophisticated electronic components from the United States to Iran in violation of U.S. export control and sanctions laws," The Center Square reported. Sadeghi and others allegedly conspired to evade U.S. export control and sanctions laws by procuring goods, services, and technology from American companies and exporting them to an Iranian-based company that contracts with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a US-designated foreign terrorist organization. The company allegedly manufactured the drones used by the IRGC that killed U.S. soldiers stationed in Jordan in January. Sadeghi faces up to 20 years in prison for his role in a conspiracy that goes back nearly 10 years , according to the complaint . His arrest occurred after an unprecedented number of Iranian and special interest aliens were apprehended after illegally entering the U.S., The Center Square reported . It also occurred after Islamic terrorist incidents increased under President Joe Biden and after he extended a national emergency regarding Iran last month. The U.S. has been in a perpetual state of national emergency related to Iran since Nov. 14, 1979, The Center Square reported . Forty-eight hours after Sadeghi's arrest , on Wednesday night, Natick's Select Board members unanimously passed a sanctuary city policy, 5-0. It prohibits taxpayer-funded town employees from inquiring about or collecting information about residents' citizenship status, among other provisions. Natick joined Boston, Somerville, Northampton, Amherst Cambridge, Concord, Lawrence and Newton in adopting so-called sanctuary city policies ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's stated mass deportation policy. The policy is being implemented in response to more than 14 million illegal border crossers being reported under the Biden administration as crime and national security threat escalated, The Center Square reported. Natick's actions followed the all-Democratic Boston City Council unanimously voting to reaffirm the Boston Trust Act, which prohibits Boston Police Department officers from cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with some exceptions. It also comes after Boston's mayor said the city wasn't planning on cooperating with ICE, The Center Square reported. Massachusetts' sanctuary policies work against law enforcement tasked with protecting residents, Todd Lyons, acting assistant director of field operations for ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations in New England, argues. Elected officials "preaching their sanctuary city status are making it easier for those who commit sex crimes and fentanyl dealers. We need cities and towns to work with us to keep these criminals out of neighborhoods. "We focus on the worst of the worst and all the political rhetoric is not helping," he told the Boston Herald. Democratic leaders describing Massachusetts "as a sanctuary to the international community and that they won't cooperate with federal authorities, sends a dangerous signal to bad actors around the world," the chair of the Massachusetts Republican Party, Amy Carnevale, said , "It tells them that Massachusetts is a safe haven where they can evade prosecution from the United States federal government." Last year, Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll urged residents to house illegal border crossers, saying, " step up if you're willing to have an additional family be part of your family." One year later, the state converted an empty former prison to house them, resulting in local outrage, The Center Square reported . Carnevale said it was time for Driscoll to "stand with the people of Massachusetts and declare that our state will no longer serve as a sanctuary for criminals whether they're here legally or illegally. For the safety and security of our communities, Massachusetts must send a clear message: there is no sanctuary for international criminals in our Commonwealth." ICE agents have been arresting violent criminals in Massachusetts, including men convicted of aggravated rape, assault and battery, and fugitives wanted in their home countries for violent sexual crimes. In many cases, sanctuary jurisdictions refused to cooperate with ICE, and instead released violent offenders into the community who then committed additional crimes, The Center Square reported . New Hampshire's incoming-Gov. Kelly Ayotte has had harsh words for Massachusetts, saying, "Our neighbors to the south seem intent on proving that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result. As they struggle with a billion-dollar illegal immigrant crisis, they are instead choosing to double down," she told Fox News Digital. Ayotte, who is replacing outgoing Gov. Chris Sununu, ran on a campaign against the "Mass-i-fication" of New Hampshire. "Here in New Hampshire, we are going to ban sanctuary policies and give law enforcement the tools to work together to ensure this crisis never comes to our towns," she said.
After a sprawling hacking campaign exposed the communications of an unknown number of Americans, U.S. cybersecurity officials are advising people to use encryption in their communications. To safeguard against the risks highlighted by the campaign, which originated in China, federal cybersecurity authorities released an extensive list of security recommendations for U.S. telecom companies — such as Verizon and AT&T — that were targeted. The advice includes one tip we can all put into practice with our phones: “Ensure that traffic is end-to-end encrypted to the maximum extent possible.” End-to-end encryption, also known as E2EE, means that messages are scrambled so that only the sender and recipient can see them. If anyone else intercepts the message, all they will see is garble that can't be unscrambled without the key. Law enforcement officials had until now resisted this type of encryption because it means the technology companies themselves won't be able to look at the messages, nor respond to law enforcement requests to turn the data over. Here's a look at various ways ordinary consumers can use end-to-end encryption: Texting Officials said the hackers targeted the metadata of a large number of customers, including information on the dates, times and recipients of calls and texts. They also managed to see the content from texts from a much smaller number of victims. If you're an iPhone user, information in text messages that you send to someone else who also has an iPhone will be encrypted end-to-end. Just look for the blue text bubbles, which indicate that they are encrypted iMessages. The same goes for Android users sending texts through Google Messages. There will be a lock next to the timestamp on each message to indicate the encryption is on. But there's a weakness. When iPhone and Android users text each other, the messages are encrypted only using Rich Communication Services, an industry standard for instant messaging that replaces the older SMS and MMS standards. Apple has noted that RCS messages “aren’t end-to-end encrypted, which means they’re not protected from a third party reading them while they’re sent between devices.” Samsung, which sells Android smartphones, has also hinted at the issue in a footnote at the bottom of a press release last month on RCS, saying, “Encryption only available for Android to Android communication.” Chat apps To avoid getting caught out when trading texts, experts recommend using encrypted messaging apps. Privacy advocates are big fans of Signal, which applies end-to-end encryption to all messages and voice calls. The independent nonprofit group behind the app promises never to sell, rent or lease customer data and has made its source code publicly available so that it can be audited by anyone to examine it “for security and correctness.” Signal's encryption protocol is so reputable that it has been integrated into rival WhatsApp, so users will enjoy the same level of security protection as Signal, which has a much smaller user base. End-to-end encryption is also the default mode for Facebook Messenger, which like WhatsApp is owned by Meta Platforms. What about Telegram? Telegram is an app that can be used for one-on-one conversations, group chats and broadcast “channels" but contrary to popular perception, it doesn't turn on end-to-end encryption by default. Users have to switch on the option. And it doesn’t work with group chats. Cybersecurity experts have warned people against using Telegram for private communications and pointed out that only its opt-in ‘secret chat’ feature is encrypted from end-to-end. The app also has a reputation for being a haven for scammers and criminal activity, highlighted by founder and CEO Pavel Durov's arrest in France. Making calls Instead of using your phone to make calls through a wireless cellular network, you can make voice calls with Signal and WhatsApp. Both apps encrypt calls with the same technology that they use to encrypt messages. There are other options. If you have an iPhone you can use Facetime for calls, while Android owners can use the Google Fi service, which are both end-to-end encrypted. The only catch with all these options is that, as with using the chat services to send messages, the person on the other end will also have to have the app installed. WhatsApp and Signal users can customize their privacy preferences in the settings, including hiding an IP address during calls to prevent your general location from being guessed.Canada's anti-money laundering agency plans scorecard to improve monitoring, sources sayAI-driven approach reveals hidden hazards of chemical mixtures in rivers