As we eagerly await more information and official announcements regarding "Assassin's Creed: Eclipse," it is important to remember that leaks and rumors should be taken with a grain of salt. Ultimately, the decision on whether the pink and blue skin will make its way into the game rests with the developers, who are constantly striving to provide a diverse and engaging experience for players.By BILL BARROW, Associated Press PLAINS, Ga. (AP) — Newly married and sworn as a Naval officer, Jimmy Carter left his tiny hometown in 1946 hoping to climb the ranks and see the world. Less than a decade later, the death of his father and namesake, a merchant farmer and local politician who went by “Mr. Earl,” prompted the submariner and his wife, Rosalynn, to return to the rural life of Plains, Georgia, they thought they’d escaped. The lieutenant never would be an admiral. Instead, he became commander in chief. Years after his presidency ended in humbling defeat, he would add a Nobel Peace Prize, awarded not for his White House accomplishments but “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” The life of James Earl Carter Jr., the 39th and longest-lived U.S. president, ended Sunday at the age of 100 where it began: Plains, the town of 600 that fueled his political rise, welcomed him after his fall and sustained him during 40 years of service that redefined what it means to be a former president. With the stubborn confidence of an engineer and an optimism rooted in his Baptist faith, Carter described his motivations in politics and beyond in the same way: an almost missionary zeal to solve problems and improve lives. Carter was raised amid racism, abject poverty and hard rural living — realities that shaped both his deliberate politics and emphasis on human rights. “He always felt a responsibility to help people,” said Jill Stuckey, a longtime friend of Carter’s in Plains. “And when he couldn’t make change wherever he was, he decided he had to go higher.” Defying expectations Carter’s path, a mix of happenstance and calculation , pitted moral imperatives against political pragmatism; and it defied typical labels of American politics, especially caricatures of one-term presidents as failures. “We shouldn’t judge presidents by how popular they are in their day. That’s a very narrow way of assessing them,” Carter biographer Jonathan Alter told the Associated Press. “We should judge them by how they changed the country and the world for the better. On that score, Jimmy Carter is not in the first rank of American presidents, but he stands up quite well.” Later in life, Carter conceded that many Americans, even those too young to remember his tenure, judged him ineffective for failing to contain inflation or interest rates, end the energy crisis or quickly bring home American hostages in Iran. He gained admirers instead for his work at The Carter Center — advocating globally for public health, human rights and democracy since 1982 — and the decades he and Rosalynn wore hardhats and swung hammers with Habitat for Humanity. Yet the common view that he was better after the Oval Office than in it annoyed Carter, and his allies relished him living long enough to see historians reassess his presidency. “He doesn’t quite fit in today’s terms” of a left-right, red-blue scoreboard, said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who visited the former president multiple times during his own White House bid. At various points in his political career, Carter labeled himself “progressive” or “conservative” — sometimes both at once. His most ambitious health care bill failed — perhaps one of his biggest legislative disappointments — because it didn’t go far enough to suit liberals. Republicans, especially after his 1980 defeat, cast him as a left-wing cartoon. It would be easiest to classify Carter as a centrist, Buttigieg said, “but there’s also something radical about the depth of his commitment to looking after those who are left out of society and out of the economy.” ‘Country come to town’ Indeed, Carter’s legacy is stitched with complexities, contradictions and evolutions — personal and political. The self-styled peacemaker was a war-trained Naval Academy graduate who promised Democratic challenger Ted Kennedy that he’d “kick his ass.” But he campaigned with a call to treat everyone with “respect and compassion and with love.” Carter vowed to restore America’s virtue after the shame of Vietnam and Watergate, and his technocratic, good-government approach didn’t suit Republicans who tagged government itself as the problem. It also sometimes put Carter at odds with fellow Democrats. The result still was a notable legislative record, with wins on the environment, education, and mental health care. He dramatically expanded federally protected lands, began deregulating air travel, railroads and trucking, and he put human rights at the center of U.S. foreign policy. As a fiscal hawk, Carter added a relative pittance to the national debt, unlike successors from both parties. Carter nonetheless struggled to make his achievements resonate with the electorate he charmed in 1976. Quoting Bob Dylan and grinning enthusiastically, he had promised voters he would “never tell a lie.” Once in Washington, though, he led like a joyless engineer, insisting his ideas would become reality and he’d be rewarded politically if only he could convince enough people with facts and logic. This served him well at Camp David, where he brokered peace between Israel’s Menachem Begin and Epypt’s Anwar Sadat, an experience that later sparked the idea of The Carter Center in Atlanta. Carter’s tenacity helped the center grow to a global force that monitored elections across five continents, enabled his freelance diplomacy and sent public health experts across the developing world. The center’s wins were personal for Carter, who hoped to outlive the last Guinea worm parasite, and nearly did. As president, though, the approach fell short when he urged consumers beleaguered by energy costs to turn down their thermostats. Or when he tried to be the nation’s cheerleader, beseeching Americans to overcome a collective “crisis of confidence.” Republican Ronald Reagan exploited Carter’s lecturing tone with a belittling quip in their lone 1980 debate. “There you go again,” the former Hollywood actor said in response to a wonky answer from the sitting president. “The Great Communicator” outpaced Carter in all but six states. Carter later suggested he “tried to do too much, too soon” and mused that he was incompatible with Washington culture: media figures, lobbyists and Georgetown social elites who looked down on the Georgians and their inner circle as “country come to town.” A ‘leader of conscience’ on race and class Carter carefully navigated divides on race and class on his way to the Oval Office. Born Oct. 1, 1924 , Carter was raised in the mostly Black community of Archery, just outside Plains, by a progressive mother and white supremacist father. Their home had no running water or electricity but the future president still grew up with the relative advantages of a locally prominent, land-owning family in a system of Jim Crow segregation. He wrote of President Franklin Roosevelt’s towering presence and his family’s Democratic Party roots, but his father soured on FDR, and Jimmy Carter never campaigned or governed as a New Deal liberal. He offered himself as a small-town peanut farmer with an understated style, carrying his own luggage, bunking with supporters during his first presidential campaign and always using his nickname. And he began his political career in a whites-only Democratic Party. As private citizens, he and Rosalynn supported integration as early as the 1950s and believed it inevitable. Carter refused to join the White Citizens Council in Plains and spoke out in his Baptist church against denying Black people access to worship services. “This is not my house; this is not your house,” he said in a churchwide meeting, reminding fellow parishioners their sanctuary belonged to God. Yet as the appointed chairman of Sumter County schools he never pushed to desegregate, thinking it impractical after the Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v. Board decision. And while presidential candidate Carter would hail the 1965 Voting Rights Act, signed by fellow Democrat Lyndon Johnson when Carter was a state senator, there is no record of Carter publicly supporting it at the time. Carter overcame a ballot-stuffing opponent to win his legislative seat, then lost the 1966 governor’s race to an arch-segregationist. He won four years later by avoiding explicit mentions of race and campaigning to the right of his rival, who he mocked as “Cufflinks Carl” — the insult of an ascendant politician who never saw himself as part the establishment. Carter’s rural and small-town coalition in 1970 would match any victorious Republican electoral map in 2024. Once elected, though, Carter shocked his white conservative supporters — and landed on the cover of Time magazine — by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” Before making the jump to Washington, Carter befriended the family of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., whom he’d never sought out as he eyed the governor’s office. Carter lamented his foot-dragging on school integration as a “mistake.” But he also met, conspicuously, with Alabama’s segregationist Gov. George Wallace to accept his primary rival’s endorsement ahead of the 1976 Democratic convention. “He very shrewdly took advantage of his own Southerness,” said Amber Roessner, a University of Tennessee professor and expert on Carter’s campaigns. A coalition of Black voters and white moderate Democrats ultimately made Carter the last Democratic presidential nominee to sweep the Deep South. Then, just as he did in Georgia, he used his power in office to appoint more non-whites than all his predecessors had, combined. He once acknowledged “the secret shame” of white Americans who didn’t fight segregation. But he also told Alter that doing more would have sacrificed his political viability – and thus everything he accomplished in office and after. King’s daughter, Bernice King, described Carter as wisely “strategic” in winning higher offices to enact change. “He was a leader of conscience,” she said in an interview. Rosalynn was Carter’s closest advisor Rosalynn Carter, who died on Nov. 19 at the age of 96, was identified by both husband and wife as the “more political” of the pair; she sat in on Cabinet meetings and urged him to postpone certain priorities, like pressing the Senate to relinquish control of the Panama Canal. “Let that go until the second term,” she would sometimes say. The president, recalled her former aide Kathy Cade, retorted that he was “going to do what’s right” even if “it might cut short the time I have.” Rosalynn held firm, Cade said: “She’d remind him you have to win to govern.” Carter also was the first president to appoint multiple women as Cabinet officers. Yet by his own telling, his career sprouted from chauvinism in the Carters’ early marriage: He did not consult Rosalynn when deciding to move back to Plains in 1953 or before launching his state Senate bid a decade later. Many years later, he called it “inconceivable” that he didn’t confer with the woman he described as his “full partner,” at home, in government and at The Carter Center. “We developed a partnership when we were working in the farm supply business, and it continued when Jimmy got involved in politics,” Rosalynn Carter told AP in 2021. So deep was their trust that when Carter remained tethered to the White House in 1980 as 52 Americans were held hostage in Tehran, it was Rosalynn who campaigned on her husband’s behalf. “I just loved it,” she said, despite the bitterness of defeat. Reevaluating his legacy Fair or not, the label of a disastrous presidency had leading Democrats keep their distance, at least publicly, for many years, but Carter managed to remain relevant, writing books and weighing in on societal challenges. He lamented widening wealth gaps and the influence of money in politics. He voted for democratic socialist Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton in 2016, and later declared that America had devolved from fully functioning democracy to “oligarchy.” Yet looking ahead to 2020, with Sanders running again, Carter warned Democrats not to “move to a very liberal program,” lest they help re-elect President Donald Trump. Carter scolded the Republican for his serial lies and threats to democracy, and chided the U.S. establishment for misunderstanding Trump’s populist appeal. He delighted in yearly convocations with Emory University freshmen, often asking them to guess how much he’d raised in his two general election campaigns. “Zero,” he’d gesture with a smile, explaining the public financing system candidates now avoid so they can raise billions. Carter still remained quite practical in partnering with wealthy corporations and foundations to advance Carter Center programs. Carter recognized that economic woes and the Iran crisis doomed his presidency, but offered no apologies for appointing Paul Volcker as the Federal Reserve chairman whose interest rate hikes would not curb inflation until Reagan’s presidency. He was proud of getting all the hostages home without starting a shooting war, even though Tehran would not free them until Reagan’s Inauguration Day. “Carter didn’t look at it” as a failure, Alter emphasized. “He said, ‘They came home safely.’ And that’s what he wanted.” Well into their 90s, the Carters greeted visitors at Plains’ Maranatha Baptist Church, where he taught Sunday School and where he will have his last funeral before being buried on family property alongside Rosalynn . Carter, who made the congregation’s collection plates in his woodworking shop, still garnered headlines there, calling for women’s rights within religious institutions, many of which, he said, “subjugate” women in church and society. Carter was not one to dwell on regrets. “I am at peace with the accomplishments, regret the unrealized goals and utilize my former political position to enhance everything we do,” he wrote around his 90th birthday. Pilgrimages to Plains The politician who had supposedly hated Washington politics also enjoyed hosting Democratic presidential contenders as public pilgrimages to Plains became advantageous again. Carter sat with Buttigieg for the final time March 1, 2020, hours before the Indiana mayor ended his campaign and endorsed eventual winner Joe Biden. “He asked me how I thought the campaign was going,” Buttigieg said, recalling that Carter flashed his signature grin and nodded along as the young candidate, born a year after Carter left office, “put the best face” on the walloping he endured the day before in South Carolina. Never breaking his smile, the 95-year-old host fired back, “I think you ought to drop out.” “So matter of fact,” Buttigieg said with a laugh. “It was somehow encouraging.” Carter had lived enough, won plenty and lost enough to take the long view. “He talked a lot about coming from nowhere,” Buttigieg said, not just to attain the presidency but to leverage “all of the instruments you have in life” and “make the world more peaceful.” In his farewell address as president, Carter said as much to the country that had embraced and rejected him. “The struggle for human rights overrides all differences of color, nation or language,” he declared. “Those who hunger for freedom, who thirst for human dignity and who suffer for the sake of justice — they are the patriots of this cause.” Carter pledged to remain engaged with and for them as he returned “home to the South where I was born and raised,” home to Plains, where that young lieutenant had indeed become “a fellow citizen of the world.” —- Bill Barrow, based in Atlanta, has covered national politics including multiple presidential campaigns for the AP since 2012.After several days of tireless searching and investigation, authorities were finally able to locate the missing graduate student in a remote area, dehydrated and disoriented but thankfully alive. She was immediately taken to a nearby hospital for medical evaluation and treatment, where she is currently receiving care and support from medical professionals.
Title: Advantage Slipping Away! La Liga Table: Barcelona Lead Real Madrid by Just 5 Points After Playing 2 More Games, Ahead of Atletico Madrid by 6 Points
Another important strategy for fostering healthy competition is promoting transparency and fair competition practices. By openly sharing information and adhering to ethical business standards, companies can build trust with customers and stakeholders. This not only enhances the industry's reputation but also creates a level playing field for all market players.NSW Waratahs and ACT Brumbies will play a pre-season trial on Saturday, February 1 at Bowral from 3pm. Subscribe now for unlimited access . Login or signup to continue reading This will be in preparation for the start of the Super Rugby Pacific season on Friday, February 14. Both sides will boast their full contingent of players, including those who recently toured the UK with the Wallabies. NRL convert, boom centre Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, one of the Wallabies' best when they downed England at Twickenham in the opening game of the spring tour, will be playing for the Waratahs. The Wallabies went on to thrash Wales (52-20) before losing to Scotland (27-13) and Ireland (22-19). ACT head coach Stephen Larkham said the game will be a preparation for the upcoming season. "There have been a lot of changes within rugby in Australia, with players from the disbanded Melbourne Rebels being distributed between the teams," Larkham said. "The Waratahs and the Force have picked up quite a few of those players, so we're looking forward to see how those players integrate into their systems and how our team gels, off the back of what has so far been a very tough pre-season.'' The Brumbies were the best performed Australian team in the 2024 Super Rugby season, finishing the competition proper in third place behind the Hurricanes and Blues, ACT Brumbies will play a second trial against Western Force at Marist College in Canberra on Friday, February 7. NSW Waratahs will play the Highlanders in the opening match of the Super Rugby season on Friday, February 14 at Allianz Stadium while the Brumbies tackle Fiji Drua at ANZ Stadium on Saturday, February 15. More from Latest News Newsletters & Alerts DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Get the latest property and development news here. WEEKLY Find out what's happening in local business. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily!
Jay-Z says lawsuit accusing him of raping a child at awards after-party is part of an extortion ployAs the game progressed, Sabonis continued to showcase his versatility by not only scoring efficiently but also creating scoring opportunities for his teammates. His court vision and passing ability were on full display as he dished out assists to open shooters and cutters, keeping the Bucks' defense on their toes.
FC Barcelona, one of the most iconic football clubs in the world, has once again showcased its financial ingenuity by announcing the pre-sale of VIP boxes at its stadium, Camp Nou. This strategic move aims at generating a staggering 1-2 billion profits over the span of the next 20 years. The funds secured from this initiative will be utilized for the registration of a new player, Ormo, whose acquisition has been the talk of the town in recent weeks.Moving forward, UEFA must continue to prioritize integrity and transparency in its officiating appointments to ensure the highest level of professionalism and ethical conduct among referees. The removal of Kut from UEFA's list serves as a reminder that any actions that undermine the principles of fair play and integrity will be met with swift and stringent consequences.Accessories play a crucial role in the Barn Chic trend, with straw hats, leather belts, and woven baskets adding a touch of authenticity to the ensemble. Floral prints and lace details bring a soft femininity to the look, balancing out the ruggedness of denim and leather. The overall effect is one of effortless elegance, where the simplicity of farm life meets the sophistication of the runway.
In conclusion, UEFA's decision to remove Kut from their officiating list was a commendable and necessary step in upholding the values and integrity of European football. By taking decisive action, UEFA sent a strong message that unethical behavior will not be tolerated within the sport. As football fans, players, and officials, we must all support and uphold the principles of fairness, honesty, and respect that are integral to the beautiful game.In conclusion, the investigation into Google and Meta's advertising agreement targeting teenagers serves as a wake-up call for the tech industry to reexamine its practices and priorities when it comes to engaging with young consumers. By promoting ethical advertising standards and protecting the rights of underage internet users, we can create a more equitable and trustworthy digital ecosystem for future generations to enjoy.
ATLANTA , Dec. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Habitat for Humanity joins the world in mourning the death of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter . A champion for affordable and decent housing, he and Rosalynn Carter donated their time and leadership each year to build and improve homes with Habitat around the world. President Carter died peacefully Sunday, Dec. 29 , at his home in Plains, Georgia , surrounded by his family. "We are deeply saddened by President Carter's passing, and our prayers are with the Carter family," said Jonathan Reckford , CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. "President and Mrs. Carter began volunteering with Habitat for Humanity near their home in southwest Georgia more than 40 years ago, and soon brought worldwide attention to the need for decent and affordable housing. We are grateful for the incredible impact the Carters have had on Habitat and on the families who have benefited from their shining example. The Carters put Habitat for Humanity on the map, and their legacy lives on in every family we serve around the world." After leaving the White House, the Carters sought out meaningful ways to continue their commitment to social justice and basic human rights. They first volunteered with Habitat for Humanity in Americus, Georgia , near their home of Plains , in March 1984 . Later that same year, the Carters joined Habitat volunteers in New York City's Lower East Side to renovate an abandoned building in partnership with families in need of affordable housing. That trip marked Habitat for Humanity's first Jimmy Carter Work Project (later renamed the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project) . Each year since then until 2019, the Carters volunteered with Habitat to build or improve houses alongside homeowners in communities across the United States and around the world. President Carter also served as a member of the organization's board of directors from 1984-1987. "I think every human being has within himself or herself a desire to reach out to others and to share some of our blessings with those who are in need," President Carter has said. "What's opened up that avenue for me and my wife and hundreds and thousands of others is Habitat for Humanity. It makes it easy for us to reach out and work side by side with the homeowner who's never had a decent house, perhaps. I haven't been on a Habitat project that I wasn't thrilled and inspired and wept." Over the last three decades, the Carter Work Project has touched lives around the world by inspiring more than 108,000 volunteers across the U.S. and in 14 countries to build, renovate and repair 4,447 Habitat homes. Since its founding in 1976, Habitat has served more than 62 million people around the world. In 2016, Habitat named President and Mrs. Carter as the inaugural Habitat Humanitarians for their extraordinary dedication to service in alignment with Habitat's vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Habitat for Humanity will be celebrating President Carter's life of service with local observances. To learn more or to share a tribute, visit habitat.org . For photos and videos of President and Mrs. Carter volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, visit habitat.ngo/cwpphotos . About Habitat for Humanity Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity found its earliest inspirations as a grassroots movement on an interracial community farm in south Georgia . Since its founding in 1976, the Christian housing organization has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in local communities across all 50 states in the U.S., Puerto Rico , and more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, visit habitat.org . SOURCE Habitat for Humanity InternationalBurning questions NEW DELHI: Realising that its intervention failed to douse the 18-month-old Kuki-Meitei ethnic conflagration that continues to singe Manipur, SC on Monday focused on remedial measures by asking the state to give details of properties burnt, damaged, looted or illegally occupied during the crisis. "We want every detail of such incidents. Also give details of action taken by the state in each of these incidents and whether the properties which have been encroached upon or illegally occupied have been restored to the original owners and whether the encroachers have been penalised," ordered a bench of Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar. The bench told solicitor general Tushar Mehta and additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati that the court is not going to pass any orders on supplementary applications filed by other persons as "it is Union and state governments that have to take action, not us". Mehta told the court that governments are aware of the ground situation and are taking remedial measures. "We are advisedly not resorting to aggressive action which could be counterproductive to the priority of restoring peace in the state." The SG also informed the court that details of the properties burnt, damaged, looted or illegally occupied would be given in sealed cover to the court as making it public could trigger violence. "We will also give details of recovery of looted arms and ammunition," he said. Appearing for Justice Gita Mittal Committee, senior advocate Vibha Datta Makhija said the committee is doing commendable work in rehabilitation of people displaced by ethnic violence and required certain directions from the court. The bench asked Union home ministry to coordinate with Manipur government in ensuring that the recommended measures for rehabilitation of displaced persons are implemented at the earliest. SC, which first heard the petition filed by one Dinganglung Gangmei on May 8 last year, has since conducted 27 hearings during which it appointed Justice Mittal Committee more than one and a half years ago and appointed a "seasoned sleuth" to supervise investigations into criminal cases filed against members of both communities for their roles in the ethnic crisis. It all started with Manipur HC's April 2023 order directing state government to respond to a more than decade old letter from Union government seeking its view on demand from Metei community for declaring them tribal community entitled to reservation like Kukis in government jobs and admissions to government educational institutions. The Kukis in tribal areas started violent protests against the HC order, which they apprehended would dilute their recruitment to government jobs. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .
Ravens coach John Harbaugh mum on suspended WR Diontae JohnsonAt renowned jewelry stores such as Tiffany & Co. and Cartier, gold prices have decreased by an average of 3% compared to last week. This decline has surprised many experts, as gold is typically seen as a safe haven asset during times of economic uncertainty. The dip in gold prices could indicate a growing sense of stability in the global markets, prompting investors to shift their focus to other investment options.
East Texas Baptist University celebrated the achievements of 202 graduates at its commencement ceremonies in Baker Chapel of the Rogers Spiritual Life Center on Saturday, Dec. 7. Guided by University President J. Blair Blackburn, the ceremony marked the conferral of degrees to 140 undergraduate and 62 graduate students. The event was filled with Scripture readings, songs of praise and worship, heartfelt prayers, and blessings bestowed upon the graduates. The December 2024 graduating class marked the largest fall class in university history. “This milestone commencement is a result of the combined efforts of faculty and staff focusing on ETBU’s mission of graduating Christian servant leaders so they can follow their calling to God and humanity,” Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Thomas Sanders said. U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin from West Virginia delivered the commencement address during the morning ceremony. He has represented West Virginia in the United States Senate since Nov. 15, 2010. Senator Manchin grew up in a coal mining community, learning the values of family, fairness and hard work from his immigrant grandparents, who inspired his commitment to public service. As a former small business owner, state legislator, and six-term governor of West Virginia, Manchin prioritized “retail government,” focusing on constituent engagement and bipartisan solutions. His legislative efforts emphasized job creation, fiscal responsibility and a balanced energy policy that integrates environmental and economic needs. Manchin chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and serves on the Appropriations, Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs Committees. “It is an honor to have Joe Manchin, United States senator for West Virginia, here with us today,” President Blackburn said. “Thank you for serving your home state of West Virginia and our nation. Sen. Manchin is respectfully regarded as an esteemed statesman among both political parties. Americans across our country, and those of us in Texas, are grateful for Sen. Manchin and his leadership.” Manchin urged graduates to embrace their calling and approach life with a spirit of unity and collaboration. “There’s no way in the world you can make it by yourself,” Senator Manchin said. “I’ve never had anybody who worked for me; they worked with me. We all have to work together to make something happen. Success depends on the team moving in the same direction. Whether you’re leading a team or contributing to one, always remember that it’s not about tearing people down but building them up so they can rise and grow. That’s how we create lasting impact.” In the afternoon ceremony, Karen O’Dell Bullock was awarded an honorary doctorate and delivered the keynote address. An esteemed scholar and educator, Bullock has taught at the undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels for over 30 years. A Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary graduate with M.Div. and Ph.D. degrees, she has held leadership roles at Southwestern, Dallas Baptist University, and B. H. Carroll Theological Seminary, where she recently retired but continues teaching and mentoring doctoral students. Bullock serves as executive vice president of the Baptist Center for Global Concerns, addressing global inequities through leadership training, agricultural projects and medical clinics. She is a passionate advocate for Christian heritage, missions and justice, and also chairs the Baptist World Alliance Commission Council. “We are what we read,” Bullock stated while addressing the graduates. “We are shaped and influenced by the books we read. They prepare us not only for interesting conversations but also for facing the real challenges of life. As graduates of East Texas Baptist University, an institution grounded in Christian values, you’ve been immersed in God’s Word. Its teachings are woven into the fabric of this campus, from the halls to the classrooms. These divine messages inspire us to grow in character, to deepen our faith, and to prioritize being over mere knowing or doing. You’ve been challenged to follow Christ while pursuing your academic goals. As you step into the world, remember that life won’t always be easy. You may face hardships, trials, and setbacks. But God promises to strengthen you and sustain you.” Each semester, ETBU President Blackburn presents an award to a graduate who represents a Christian leader, scholar and servant on campus and in the local community. Hannah Hobson, a bachelor of arts graduate in worship studies, was honored with the President’s Award for the Fall 2024 graduating class at East Texas Baptist University. A native of Shreveport, Hobson achieved an exceptional academic record, maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA throughout her time at ETBU. Hobson, a gifted musician and devoted leader, has been a cornerstone of ETBU’s chapel bands for the past three and a half years. Her campus involvement also includes marching band, pep band, symphonic band, pom and theatre, showcasing her multifaceted talents. Hannah represented ETBU on the band and choir global study and serve trip to Israel and earned a place in the College Band Directors National Association Intercollegiate Honor Band. Her outstanding achievements were further recognized with the Department of Music and Theatre Arts Academic Excellence Award. Beyond campus, Hobson has faithfully served in ministry. She has completed practicum hours at First Methodist Church in Marshall and contributed to the worship ministry at First Methodist Church in Shreveport, where her father serves as music minister. “The quality of Hannah’s academic work is superior,” Nathan Phillips, chair of the Department of Music and Theatre Arts and Director of Bands, said. “She completes assignments thoroughly and often goes beyond the requirements in order to do her best work. As a musician, Hannah is one of the finest instrumentalists I’ve ever taught. She has superior technique and musicianship and elected to give two recitals that were not required for her degree. She treats everyone she meets with compassion and fairness. She goes out of her way to serve and encourage and gives of her time and energy.” Blackburn encouraged the graduates and reminded those in attendance of the university’s Christ-centered mission. “Today, we celebrate your academic achievements, spiritual growth, and answered callings to serve,” Blackburn said. “As a Christ-centered university, ETBU has equipped you to become Christian servant leaders, ready to impact the world with the hope, love, and light of Jesus Christ. From this Hill and ETBU, we are sending you out as Kingdom leaders — educated, empowered, and emboldened to influence and impact people. May you carry the torch of faith and transform lives, for the glory of God.”Setien, for his part, handled the incident with grace and composure, choosing to downplay the confrontation and focus on his work with the team. His calm demeanor in the face of adversity earned him respect from the players and staff at Barcelona, despite the challenges he faced during his time at the club.
California to Consider Requiring Mental Health Warnings on Social Media Sites