circus elephant

Lea en español For many people, this time of year is all about the shopping. And there's a fair chance many feel less than joyful about the prospect. If fulfilling your lengthy list feels overwhelming, learning what brain science and evolutionary psychology say about shopping and gift-giving might help you understand exactly why you're stressed – and even point you toward a healthier, happier holiday season. Our reactions are encoded into our nervous system, said Dr. Beth Frates, a part-time associate professor in the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School in Boston. "By understanding these brain responses, people can develop strategies to manage stress better, such as setting realistic expectations, focusing on mindfulness and simplifying holiday preparations," said Frates, who also is the immediate past president of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. The idea of exchanging gifts at this time of year can be traced back to pagan solstice celebrations. But the drive to share with another is as old as humanity itself, said Dr. Diego Guevara Beltran, a postdoctoral fellow in psychology at the University of Arizona in Tucson who studies cooperation and generosity. The science of generosity is more about survival than stocking stuffers, Guevara Beltran said. Sharing food gave early humans an evolutionary advantage. "Generosity is just one of the ways by which we can accumulate resources, be it wealth itself or friendships or work partners or more attractive, more intelligent mates," he said. Sharing with other people, Guevara Beltran said, is "a signal that communicates how much you value them, their welfare, your relationship with them." Research has shown that helping people makes us feel good. Part of that, he said, is because when someone is part of a community, they feel protected. One way this manifests is through the act of giving gifts. But to derive happiness from gift-giving, the giver needs to feel both that it was not an obligation and that it was effective, according to the 2019 World Happiness Report . That means it could be stressful to be in a culture where gift-giving feels mandatory, or if we can't see that a gift helped someone, Guevara Beltran speculated. It also might be stressful if gift-giving becomes a competition to show that you care about somebody more than the others around them. Our brains on shopping Stressful shopping can cause several physiological responses to kick in, Frates said. First is the "fight or flight" reaction that comes with stress. The release of chemicals that increase our heart rate, raise our blood pressure and intensify our breathing evolved to give us bursts of energy to escape danger. Frates said that while holiday stressors are not life-threatening, they can still trigger the stress response. The pressure to stay within budget could create a sense of scarcity, she said. "This taps into an evolutionary response, where the fear of losing resources like money can feel urgent and distressing." The holiday season also involves a lot of choices. "The brain has limited capacity for decision-making, and making multiple decisions can lead to decision fatigue," Frates said. "This fatigue reduces the ability to self-regulate and cope, which can lead to heightened stress responses when confronted with even minor setbacks, like a long line or out-of-stock item." The stress of needing to complete tasks within a limited time can intensify the fight-or-flight response, she said, as the brain interprets the ticking clock as a sense of urgency or threat. Meanwhile, Frates said, holiday shopping can also trigger brain chemicals that affect our feelings. "Dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward, is released when we anticipate something exciting or enjoyable, like finding a great gift or finding a good deal," she said. "This anticipation can feel rewarding even before any actual purchase is made." For some people, this dopamine boost can make shopping a relaxing experience. "It provides a temporary distraction from other stressors and allows them to focus on something positive, creating a 'holiday high,'" Frates said. For some people, that can be problematic. "When shopping becomes a way to chase that next dopamine hit, it can lead to excessive spending or impulsive purchases," she said. "This can become a trap, particularly during the holidays, when deals, sales and gift-giving pressures are everywhere." Understanding how all these processes work can help people recognize why they feel the way they do and adopt strategies to cope, Frates said. Here are some of her suggestions. 1. Start with self-care before shopping Prioritizing self-care means people can be their best selves and make good decisions, Frates said. So, "eat food that is delicious and nutritious. Get seven to nine hours of sleep. Make sure to enjoy physical activity. Take walks when you can and invite friends along. Practice stress reduction like meditation or yoga to help you calm your body and mind." Before going shopping, try taking deep breaths using stress-relieving techniques such as 4-7-8 breathing (inhale through your nose for four counts, hold for seven counts, and exhale through your mouth for eight) or box breathing (inhale through the nose for four counts, hold your breath for four, exhale for four, then hold for four). 2. Be strategic Don't shop when you're hungry, tired, lonely or stressed, Frates said. And don't start shopping 15 minutes before a store closes or a website's online deals end, she said. That's setting yourself up for triggering the fight-or-flight response. 3. Be mindful Before making a purchase, take a moment to consider whether it's truly needed or whether it's an impulsive choice. To avoid overindulging, set a specific budget or limit yourself to a couple of hours or specific shopping days. "This keeps dopamine-driven spending in check while still allowing for the enjoyable aspects of holiday shopping," Frates said. Look for post-shopping activities that provide rewards without the financial cost. That can satisfy your brain's desire for more dopamine in a healthier way. "Plan enjoyable, stress-relieving activities after shopping, like going for a walk, spending time with friends or indulging in a hobby," she said. 4. Bring a friend Not only does this support healthy social connections, Frates said, but if things start feeling stressful, "you have a buddy, and you have a support system right there for you." 5. Rethink the focus of the season "With gift-giving, we need to change mindsets in order to be able to manage the stress," Frates said. The holidays could be used to emphasize social connections, she said. "Thinking about the connection with the person and making gift-giving more about deepening the connection than anything else, I think, will really help to reduce the stress around the process," she said. So instead of scouring shops and websites for the "perfect" gift, think about making a meaningful and personal one, she suggested. It could be a poem, a painting, a song or a framed photograph that captured a special time. 6. Lessons for children It's easy to get caught up in the hunt for a hard-to-get item, Frates said. But ask yourself what the holiday means in your family's traditions. "Is it about getting that perfect gift for the child? Or is it about celebrating the meaning of that holiday?" So instead of having children ask for one specific toy, or a specific brand of clothing, teach them to leave a little leeway on their lists. "It is a good reminder to express to children that this season is about giving and sharing what we can in the best way that we can," she said, "and sometimes the exact gift is not available." Encouraging such an attitude can be a tall order, Frates said, but it's a place to start. "A simple mindset shift could be the difference between a stressful holiday shopping season or a joyful journey to find meaningful gifts for people you care about." American Heart Association News covers heart and brain health. Not all views expressed in this story reflect the official position of the American Heart Association. Copyright is owned or held by the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights are reserved. Sign up here to get the latest health & fitness updates in your inbox every week!What inspires one of the country’s biggest superstars to direct a children’s movie? That is where we begin our conversation with , as his new drama, Barroz, hits theatres across the country. “Children are increasingly drawn to screens, be it to participate in games, watch videos, or scroll through social media content. [This consumption] comes at the cost of the outdoor activities that were once a staple part of people’s childhood. Children would climb trees, play in the fields, tell stories, and explore their creativity in ways that shaped their understanding of the world. Today, those moments of wonder and connection are becoming rare. So, I thought we should do something for children,” he says of his directorial debut that is being widely dubbed as a visual spectacle. Actors who’ve turned attention to direction will agree that helming even a regular production comes with a host of challenges. The obstacles in Mohanlal’s way were multifold, given that is a technologically advanced 3D offering that demanded the use of contemporary filmmaking methods. Direction, he says, required him to be uncomfortable with the unknown. “You need special cameras and [an understanding of] colours, costumes, and makeup. Everything is different from the normal filmmaking process. I have done this [been part of films] for 47 years, and here is something new. We created animated characters and underwater sequences. We have a fully animated underwater song sequence starring the main characters,” he says, asserting that he also had to exercise restraint while employing technology to ensure it did not hamper the storytelling. “Too many complicated shots could affect the storyline. Excessive camera movements and tilting could cause nausea or disorientation for the viewer. So, I had to think from the perspective of the audience. I have to credit Santosh Sivan for his groundwork. The 3D glasses [he chose] reduce screen brightness [and enhance] colour perception, especially in the shots for which we had to compensate during the shoot. The visual effects too needed to be rendered with the depth, which could be computationally intensive and expensive.” Mohanlal may have put his prowess as an actor on display for several years, but taking on a new role enabled him to showcase his artistry in a different way. “To direct a film, one must be patient and committed. Your passion and integrity must be [evident]. This is a requirement for every film, but a movie like this one needs you to be stronger because each day is complicated. Post-production is the most difficult part of making it.” Rubbishing claims that superstars are not given the freedom to experiment, he says he has taken the decision to be part of all kinds of cinema ever since he began his journey. “As an actor, I developed myself inside that aura. You have to approach cinema with passion. There has been a beautiful flow in my life for 47 years. I never stop feeding the excited kid in me.” We can’t part ways with the actor without asking him about the Drishyam franchise that has been fronted by him since 2015, and whose Hindi remake—led by Ajay Devgn—gained unwavering attention from Bollywood fans. Would the third edition of the franchise be underway soon? “We are trying [to create it],” he confirms. “But it’s not that easy. To make the sequel, it took us six years. So, when we create another edition, we must be careful. We should not ridicule the appreciation we have received from the audience.”circus elephant 。

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Farmers plotting huge protest against Labour that could 'shut down economy'Ahmedabad: Educational institutions are now required to submit online applications for bicycle allocation to Class 9 girl students under the Saraswati Sadhana Scheme for the ongoing academic session. The submission process must be completed through a designated online portal. Schools that did not submit applications for the previous year's bicycle assistance have received official notifications. With the current year's application process now initiated, bicycle distribution is anticipated to conclude by the academic year's end. The Saraswati Sadhana Scheme, administered by the department of social justice and empowerment, provides free bicycles to Class 9 girls from socially disadvantaged backgrounds and economically weaker sections attending govt and grant-in-aid secondary schools. This programme aims to reduce their dropout rates. Applications for bicycle distribution to eligible students for the academic year 2024-25 are being accepted on the Digital Gujarat Portal within specified deadlines. The submission requires uploading caste documentation and parental income certificates. Following approval, school heads are tasked with ensuring proper distribution of bicycles to eligible ninth-grade female students at their respective institutions. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .Elon Musk on Sunday asked for "more positive" content to be posted to the social media network he owns, resulting in some reminders about his own negative attitude at times. Musk, the richest man in the world and an appointee of President-elect Donald Trump , took to X to say, "Please post a bit more positive, beautiful or informative content on this platform." That statement prompted critics to chime in. ALSO READ: Poor Trump supporters are about to get a rude awakening — but we shouldn't be celebrating Academic Karen Piper responded with, "Getting tired of the toxic wasteland you created?" Popular influencer Larry the Cat said, "Musk's new and improved Twitter: 3% positive, beautiful or informative content 97% Bots, Nazis and Temu ads." Michael Flynn Jr , a self-identified supporter of MAGA, wrote, " Ooooooooooor what? How about 'Please post whatever you want because I’m a free speech absolutist'?" Democracy advocate Renee Libby Yep said, "Elon Musk tweeted that we all should post more 'positive , beautiful and informative content' on this platform. Translation: ' Please post only s--- I agree with.'" TV news journalist Rebecca Aguilar said, " Today Elon Musk asked all of you to post 'more positive, beautiful, or informative content' but in May 2023 he was asked about his tweets that could hurt his company." "Basically he doesn’t care," Aguilar added.

Man City stumble again while Arsenal and Bayern Munich earn dominant wins

Indian man wakes up on his funeral pyre moments before it is due to be lit after doctor skipped the post mortemZurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank Decreases Stock Holdings in Agilysys, Inc. (NASDAQ:AGYS)DALLAS (AP) — Kevin Miller had 24 points in SMU's 98-82 victory over Longwood on Sunday. Miller also added five rebounds and seven assists for the Mustangs (11-2). Yohan Traore added 20 points while going 7 of 10 from the floor, including 2 for 4 from 3-point range, and 4 for 4 from the free-throw line while and grabbed 11 rebounds. Matt Cross shot 6 for 10 (2 for 5 from 3-point range) and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line to finish with 19 points. The Mustangs prolonged their winning streak to seven games. The Lancers (11-4) were led in scoring by Elijah Tucker, who finished with 20 points and six rebounds. Longwood also got 19 points and 11 assists from Colby Garland. Emanuel Richards had 12 points. SMU took the lead as time expired in the first half on a jumper by Chuck Harris and did not give it up. Traore led their team in scoring with 15 points in the first half to help put them up 45-43 at the break. SMU pulled away with an 18-2 run in the second half to extend a nine-point lead to 25 points. They outscored Longwood by 14 points in the final half, as Miller led the way with a team-high 13 second-half points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Donald Trump left the White House nearly four years ago. Given his self-confidence, I suspect he is now thinking: “What could be so different? I’ve got this.” Well, I just traveled from a reporting trip in Tel Aviv, Israel, to a conference in the United Arab Emirates to a deep dive with Google’s DeepMind artificial intelligence team in London, and I think the president-elect would be wise to remember a famous aphorism: There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks when decades happen. What I saw and heard exposed me to three giant, shifting tectonic plates that will have profound implications for the new administration. The most significant geopolitical event. In just the last two months, the Israeli military has inflicted a defeat on Iran that approaches its 1967 Six-Day War defeat of Egypt, Syria and Jordan. Full stop. Let’s review: Over the past few decades, Iran built a formidable threat network that seemed to put Israel into an octopuslike grip. It became widely accepted that Israel was deterred from striking at Iran’s nuclear facilities because Iran had armed the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon with enough precision rockets to destroy Israel’s ports, airports, high-tech factories, air bases and infrastructure. Not so fast. It turned out that Mossad and Israel’s cyber Unit 8200 had been forging what became one of the country’s greatest intelligence successes ever. They planted explosive devices in the pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah’s military commanders, developed human and technological tracking capabilities to find Hezbollah’s top leaders, painstakingly identified storage facilities in Lebanon and Syria for Hezbollah’s most lethal precision rockets and then systematically took many of them out by air in October. The result is that Hezbollah looks likely to accept a 60-day cease-fire with Israel in Lebanon negotiated by U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein. This is a big deal. It means that, even if just for 60 days, Hezbollah and, by extension, Iran have decided to delink themselves from Hamas in the Gaza Strip and stop the firing from Lebanon for the first time since Oct. 8, 2023, the day after Hamas invaded Israel. We will see if it lasts, but if it does, it will increase the pressure on Hamas to agree to a cease-fire and hostage release with Israel, more on Israel’s terms. There is a reason for this. Hezbollah’s mother ship has suffered a real blow. According to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s April strike on Iran eliminated one of four Russian-supplied S-300 surface-to-air missile defense batteries around Tehran, and Israel destroyed the remaining three batteries on Oct. 26. Israel also damaged Iran’s ballistic missile production capabilities and its ability to produce the solid fuel used in long-range ballistic missiles. In addition, according to Axios, Israel’s Oct. 26 strike on Iran, which was a response to an earlier Iranian attack on Israel, also destroyed equipment used to create the explosives that surround uranium in a nuclear device, setting back Iran’s efforts in nuclear weapons research. A senior Israeli defense official told me that the Oct. 26 attack on Iran “was lethal, precise and a surprise.” And up to now, the Iranians “don’t know technologically how we hit them. So they are at the most vulnerable point they have been in this generation: Hamas is not there for them, Hezbollah is not there for them, their air defenses are not there anymore, their ability to retaliate is sharply diminished, and they are worried about Trump.” Which means that Iran is either riper than ever for negotiations to curb its nuclear program or riper than ever for an attack by Israel or the Trump administration — or both — to destroy those nuclear facilities. Either way, Trump will face choices he did not have four years ago. It is not only a new Iran, but also a new Israel. There were legitimate reasons President Joe Biden denounced the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants against Netanyahu and his former defense minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes in Gaza against a Hamas enemy that deliberately embedded itself among civilians. This same court never issued an arrest warrant for President Bashar Assad of Syria, whose army killed hundreds of thousands of his own people. The ICC said Syria is not a member. But neither is Israel. It is also odd that the ICC issued a warrant only for the Hamas leader Mohammed Deif, who is widely believed to be dead, and not for the very much alive Muhammad Sinwar (the younger brother of the late Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar), who is now reportedly running Hamas in Gaza and was a commander in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. But while the ICC warrants are questionable, they were also avoidable. The strategy that Netanyahu has imposed on his military is one of the ugliest in Israel’s history: Go into Gaza, destroy as much of Hamas as you can, don’t be too worried about civilian casualties, then leave the remnants of Hamas in charge to loot food convoys and intimidate the local population — then rinse and repeat. Why is he doing this? Because Netanyahu is being directed by the far-right Jewish supremacists he needs to stay in power and possibly out of prison on charges of corruption. And the stated goal of those Jewish supremacists is to extend Israeli settlements from the West Bank right through Gaza. They oppose any scenario in which the Palestinian Authority is gradually installed in Gaza as part of an Arab peacekeeping force to replace Hamas. They fear the Palestinian Authority might then become a legitimate partner for a two-state solution. When you fight a war with this many civilian casualties for a year and offer no vision of peace with the other side, you invite the ICC. Attention, President-elect Trump: Netanyahu will tell you that Israel is defending the free world in defeating the dark forces of Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran. There is truth in that. But there is also truth in the fact that he is doing it to defend a Jewish supremacist apartheid vision in the West Bank and Gaza. It’s a dirty business. If you just unquestionably wrap your arms around him, you will get yourself and America dirty, too. You will also ensure that your Jewish grandchildren will one day learn what it is to be Jewish in a world where the Jewish state is a pariah. Artificial general intelligence is probably coming on Trump’s watch. Polymathic artificial general intelligence, or AGI, was still largely in the realm of science fiction when Trump left office four years ago. It is fast becoming nonfiction. And ASI — artificial super intelligence — may be one day as well. AGI means machines will be endowed with intelligence as good as the smartest human in any field, but because of its capabilities to integrate learning across many fields, it will probably become better than any average doctor, lawyer or computer programmer. ASI is a computer brain that can exceed what any human can do in any field and then, with its polymathic ability, it could produce insights far beyond anything humans could do or even imagine. It might even invent its own language we don’t understand. How we adapt to AGI was not part of the 2024 presidential campaign. I predict it will be a central theme of the 2028 election. Between now and then, every leader in the world — but particularly the presidents of America and China, the two AI superpowers — will be judged by how well they enable their countries to get the best and cushion the worst from the coming AI storm. President-elect Trump, if you think blue-collar workers without college degrees are facing challenges today, wait until four years from now. But that’s not Trump’s only challenge. If these AI powers fall into the wrong hands or are used by existing powers in the wrong ways, we could be dealing with possibly civilizational extinction events. History will not look kindly on you, President-elect Trump, if you choose to prioritize the price of toys for American tots over an agreement with China on the behavior of AI bots. — Thomas Friedman is a columnist with The New York Times."We are primarily here for hazardous weather information," said Ed Shimon, warning coordination meteorologist at the NWS' Central Illinois Weather Forecast Office in Lincoln. "When the weather turns hazardous, where people can be affected in their travel, their daily lives, possibly even loss of life and injury, we want to make sure that that information is disseminated as quickly as possible." The NWS' Lincoln office, located just off Illinois Route 10 next to the Logan County Airport, has been operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, since opening there in 1995. Shimon, who has been at the Lincoln site since April 2005, said the office replaced existing locations in Springfield and Peoria and now comprises 23 staff members, including meteorologists, electric technicians and other support specialists. Lincoln's Doppler radar sits just outside the office, on top of a 100-foot-high platform and covered by a fiberglass bubble. It runs 24 hours a day and is programmed with specific scan strategies that allow for quick updates during severe weather, and a slower scan during calmer weather, Shimon said. The radar is one of 158 across the United States, Guam and Puerto Rico. Illinois' other radar is in Chicago; other nearby radars are in St. Louis; Davenport, Iowa; Paducah, Kentucky; and Indianapolis and Evansville, Indiana. Lincoln's radar also been upgraded with dual polarization, which allows for three-dimensional visualizations of storm systems and objects that might be within them, like hail stones or debris that's been lofted into the air, Shimon said. Doppler radar data is compiled into a processing system where meteorologists can view computer models, satellite information, weather observations and more, Shimon said. Meteorologists also can sample the atmospheric air remotely via weather balloons launched twice a day, at 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. Instruments attached to the balloons measure temperature and relative humidity, with the data being input to computer forecast models, Shimon explained. "We're dedicated to making sure we utilize all the technology we can, and we train up on how to do that and leverage the models and the number of models that we have available, in what we call ensembling," Shimon said. "We're really focused into the future — if the weather is kind of in a lull, we're always looking for the next big storm." This winter, the office is expecting a high variability of temperature swings, with La Niña playing into the jet stream patterns and causing more moisture and warmer weather. Still, they do expect one or two highly impactful winter storms in the coming months, Shimon said. Meteorologist James Auten, who has worked at the Lincoln office since it opened in 1995, said he has seen the NWS' impact on public safety when they put out severe thunderstorm warnings and tornado warnings, which are more frequent in the summertime. He said one misconception the public has of the NWS is that they work at television stations. However, he explained, the NWS is actually part of the United States government and is one government agency that is regarded highly from all sides of the political spectrum. "That's our job, putting out that information and keeping the public safe," Auten said. "When you find a job that you love, then you're not really working. ... There's been some rough times and some hard times, but we're still doing it to keep the public safe." Meteorologist Daryl Onton, who has worked at the Lincoln office since 2014, encourages the public to keep an eye on the NWS' website and social media, including the " US National Weather Service Central Illinois" page on Facebook , where they keep people updated on what is happening and what they can expect in the days to come. "The most important factor in the National Weather Service is protection of life and property, so we urge people to always stay safe out in the weather whenever possible," Onton said. "Just keep an eye on severe weather, severe winds, severe thunderstorms, severe flash flooding, severe winter storms, and make sure to heed some of those slogans we have, like, 'When thunder roars, go indoors,' and 'Turn around, don't drown.'" Meteorologist and science officer Andrew Taylor, who has been at the Lincoln office for over three years, said he loves learning about new technology and sharing it with his colleagues, making sure they can use all the tools necessary to do their jobs, and in some instances, make their jobs easier. Taylor said another aspect of the job is how the NWS interacts with partners at the local level, including municipalities, counties and state departments. It's important to make sure they all are receiving the most up-to-date information to keep people safe. "Something that I wasn't looking as much into when I was going into the weather service was the people aspect of the job, and I'd say that over time I've become just as interested in that as anything else," Taylor said. "The National Weather Service is a trusted source for information — our meteorologists live in the local area, and they interact with our partners in the communities." Christopher Hogan, a student volunteer and graduate student studying geographic information science at Western Illinois University, said since starting at the NWS in late July, he's been able to shadow everyone at the office, which has helped him gain a better understanding and hands-on experience with meteorology. Hogan said his master's thesis will focus on the distance of storm events like tornadoes, and if there is a correlation between the distance and timing of supercell tornados. He is working in collaboration with scientist and storm chaser Cameron Nixon's research, which looked at storm interactions and the correlation between where they are positioned. Nixon is well known for his storm chasing coverage on social media and works at the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Oklahoma. Hogan said he is grateful for the opportunity to work at the NWS in Lincoln, and he hopes people realize that the work being done there is not as easy as just looking at a weather model for a forecast. "The models are getting much better and we rely on those, but you have to understand statistics, physical science, how to use these computers and technology," Hogan said. "If people got to experience what we do, they'd understand that it's a lot more than just looking at a model and saying that's going to happen, because you have to look at multiple different models and see which one has biases and make your own forecast from there." Visit facebook.com/NWSLincoln or weather.gov/ilx to stay updated on the National Weather Service's Central Illinois office. To learn more about tours and job shadowing opportunities, visit weather.gov/ilx/contactus

Mr Carter, a former peanut farmer, served one term in the White House between 1977 and 1981, taking over in the wake of the Watergate scandal and the end of the Vietnam War. After his defeat by Ronald Reagan, he spent his post-presidency years as a global humanitarian, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. His death on Sunday was announced by his family and came more than a year after he decided to enter hospice care. He was the longest-lived US president. His son, Chip Carter, said: “My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights and unselfish love. “My brothers, sister and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs. “The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honouring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs.” World leaders have paid tribute to Mr Carter, including US President Joe Biden, who was one of the first politicians to endorse Mr Carter for president in 1976 and said the world had “lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian”. He said: “Over six decades, we had the honour of calling Jimmy Carter a dear friend. But, what’s extraordinary about Jimmy Carter, though, is that millions of people throughout America and the world who never met him thought of him as a dear friend as well. Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia. pic.twitter.com/aqYmcE9tXi — The Carter Center (@CarterCenter) December 29, 2024 “With his compassion and moral clarity, he worked to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil rights and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless, and always advocate for the least among us. “He saved, lifted, and changed the lives of people all across the globe.” Irish President Michael D Higgins said Mr Carter was “a principled man who dedicated his life to seeking to advance the cause of peace across the world”. He added: “On behalf of the people of Ireland, may I express my sympathies to President Carter’s children and extended family, to President Joe Biden, to the people of the United States, and to his wide circle of colleagues and friends across the globe.” Mr Carter is expected to receive a state funeral featuring public observances in Atlanta and Washington DC before being buried in his home town of Plains, Georgia. A moderate democrat born in Plains in October 1924, Mr Carter’s political career took him from the Georgia state senate to the state governorship and finally, the White House, where he took office as the 39th president. His presidency saw economic disruption amid volatile oil prices, along with social tensions at home and challenges abroad including the Iranian revolution that sparked a 444-day hostage crisis at the US embassy in Tehran. But he also brokered the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel, which led to a peace treaty between the two countries in 1979. After his defeat in the 1980 presidential election, he worked for more than four decades leading the Carter Centre, which he and his late wife Rosalynn co-founded in 1982 to “wage peace, fight disease, and build hope”. Under his leadership, the Carter Center managed to virtually eliminate Guinea Worm disease, which has gone from affecting 3.5 million people in Africa and Asia in 1986 to just 14 in 2023. Mrs Carter, who died last year aged 96, had played a more active role in her husband’s presidency than previous first ladies, with Mr Carter saying she had been “my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished”. Earlier this year, on his 100th birthday, Mr Carter received a private congratulatory message from the King, expressing admiration for his life of public service.Marin supervisorial candidate concedes District 2 race

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DALLAS (AP) — Boopie Miller scored 24 points and added seven assists and Yohan Traoire posted a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds to help power SMU to its seventh straight win, closing out its nonconference schedule with a 98-82 victory over Longwood on Sunday. The Mustangs (11-2) shot 62% from the field for the game, knocking down 10 of 20 shots from behind the 3-point arc to earn their seventh win in eight home games. Longwood (11-4) stayed close by taking advantage of 20 SMU turnovers and 10 steals. Elijah Tucker's jumper with 11:37 left pulled the Lancers within seven, 69-62, but the Mustangs answered with a 14-1 run to take a 20-point lead. Miller knocked down 6 of 7 shots from the field, including both of his 3-point attempts, and was 10 of 12 from the free-throw line. Traore was 7 of 10 from the floor, including 2 of 4 from deep, and was 4 for 4 at the line. Matt Cross added 19 points and Chuck Harris chipped in 12 points off the bench. Tucker finished with 20 points and six rebounds to lead Longwood. Coby Garland posted a double-double with 19 points and 11 assists and Emanuel Richards finished with 12 points off the bench. SMU, off to a 2-0 start in its first season of Atlantic Coast Conference play, hosts No. 4 Duke on Saturday. Longwood opens Big South Conference play Thursday at home against Presbyterian. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketballWASHINGTON (AP) — A machinists strike. Another safety problem involving its troubled top-selling airliner. A plunging stock price. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * WASHINGTON (AP) — A machinists strike. Another safety problem involving its troubled top-selling airliner. A plunging stock price. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? WASHINGTON (AP) — A machinists strike. Another safety problem involving its troubled top-selling airliner. A plunging stock price. 2024 was already a dispiriting year for Boeing, the American aviation giant. But when one of the company’s jets crash-landed in South Korea on Sunday, killing all but two of the 181 people on board, it brought to a close an especially unfortunate year for Boeing. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, and aviation experts were quick to distinguish Sunday’s incident from the company’s earlier safety problems. Alan Price, a former chief pilot at Delta Air Lines who is now a consultant, said it would be inappropriate to link the incident Sunday to two fatal crashes involving Boeing’s troubled 737 Max jetliner in 2018 and 2019. In January this year, a door plug blew off a 737 Max while it was in flight, raising more questions about the plane. The Boeing 737-800 that crash-landed in Korea, Price noted, is “a very proven airplane. “It’s different from the Max ...It’s a very safe airplane.’’ For decades, Boeing has maintained a role as one of the giants of American manufacturing. But the the past year’s repeated troubles have been damaging. The company’s stock price is down more than 30% in 2024. The company’s reputation for safety was especially tarnished by the 737 Max crashes, which occurred off the coast of Indonesia and in Ethiopia less than five months apart in 2018 and 2019 and left a combined 346 people dead. In the five years since then, Boeing has lost more than $23 billion. And it has fallen behind its European rival, Airbus, in selling and delivering new planes. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Last fall, 33,000 Boeing machinists went on strike, crippling the production of the 737 Max, the company’s bestseller, the 777 airliner and 767 cargo plane. The walkout lasted seven weeks, until members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers agreed to an offer that included 38% pay raises over four years. In January, a door plug blew off a 737 Max during an Alaska Airlines flight. Federal regulators responded by imposing limits on Boeing aircraft production that they said would remain in place until they felt confident about manufacturing safety at the company. In July, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud for deceiving the Federal Aviation Administration regulators who approved the 737 Max. Acting on Boeing’s incomplete disclosures, the FAA approved minimal, computer-based training instead of more intensive training in flight simulators. Simulator training would have increased the cost for airlines to operate the Max and might have pushed some to buy planes from Airbus instead. (Prosecutors said they lacked evidence to argue that Boeing’s deception had played a role in the crashes.) But the plea deal was rejected this month by a federal judge in Texas, Reed O’Connor, who decided that diversity, inclusion and equity or DEI policies in the government and at Boeing could result in race being a factor in choosing an official to oversee Boeing’s compliance with the agreement. Boeing has sought to change its culture. Under intense pressure over safety issues, David Calhoun departed as CEO in August. Since January, 70,000 Boeing employees have participated in meetings to discuss ways to improve safety. Advertisement AdvertisementZurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank Purchases 3,880 Shares of AtriCure, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATRC)