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Youth advocate and educator Daniel Principe on healthy masculinitythe peanut farmer who tried to restore virtue to the White House after the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, then rebounded from a landslide defeat to become a global advocate of human rights and democracy, has died. . The Carter Center said the 39th president died Sunday, , at his home in Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, who died in November 2023, lived most of their lives. A moderate Democrat, as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad grin, effusive Baptist faith and technocratic plans for efficient government. His promise to never 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 said. Carter’s victory over Republican Gerald Ford, whose fortunes fell after pardoning Nixon, came amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over race, women’s rights and America’s role in the world. His achievements included brokering Mideast peace by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at Camp David for 13 days in 1978. But his coalition splintered under double-digit inflation and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His negotiations ultimately brought all the hostages home alive, but in a final insult, Iran didn’t release them until the inauguration of Ronald Reagan, who had trounced him in the 1980 election. Humbled and back home in Georgia, Carter said his faith demanded that he keep doing whatever he could, for as long as he could, to try to make a difference. He and Rosalynn co-founded in 1982 and spent the next 40 years traveling the world as peacemakers, human rights advocates and champions of democracy and public health. Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, Carter helped ease nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and and Sudan. By 2022, the center had monitored at least 113 elections around the world. Carter was determined to as one of many health initiatives. the Carters built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The common observation that he was better as an ex-president rankled Carter. His allies were pleased that he lived long enough to see biographers and historians and declare it more impactful than many understood at the time. Propelled in 1976 by voters in Iowa and then across the South, Carter ran a no-frills campaign. Americans were captivated by the earnest engineer, and while an election-year Playboy interview drew snickers when he said he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times,” voters tired of political cynicism found it endearing. The first family set an informal tone in the White House, carrying their own luggage, trying to silence the Marine Band’s traditional “Hail to the Chief” and enrolling daughter, Amy, in public schools. Carter was lampooned for wearing a cardigan and urging Americans to turn down their thermostats. But Carter set the stage for an economic revival and sharply reduced America’s dependence on foreign oil by deregulating the energy industry along with airlines, trains and trucking. He established the departments of Energy and Education, appointed record numbers of women and nonwhites to federal posts, preserved millions of acres of Alaskan wilderness and pardoned most Vietnam draft evaders. , he ended most support for military dictators and took on bribery by multinational corporations by signing the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. He persuaded the Senate to ratify the Panama Canal treaties and normalized relations with China, an outgrowth of Nixon’s outreach to Beijing. But crippling turns in foreign affairs took their toll. When OPEC hiked crude prices, making drivers line up for gasoline as inflation spiked to 11%, Carter tried to encourage Americans to overcome “a crisis of confidence.” Many voters lost confidence in Carter instead after the infamous address that media dubbed his “malaise” speech, even though he never used that word. After Carter reluctantly agreed to admit the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979. Negotiations to quickly free the hostages broke down, and then eight Americans died when a top-secret military rescue attempt failed. Carter also had to reverse course on the SALT II nuclear arms treaty after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979. Though historians would later credit Carter’s diplomatic efforts for hastening the end of the Cold war, Republicans labeled his soft power weak. Reagan’s “make America great again” appeals resonated, and he beat Carter in all but six states. Born Oct. 1, 1924, James Earl Carter Jr. in 1946, the year he graduated from the Naval Academy. He brought his young family back to Plains after his father died, abandoning his Navy career, and . Carter reached the state Senate in 1962. After rural white and Black voters elected him governor in 1970, he drew national attention by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” Carter published more than 30 books and remained influential as his center turned its democracy advocacy onto U.S. politics, monitoring an audit of Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results. After Carter said he felt “perfectly at ease with whatever comes.” “I’ve had a wonderful life,” “I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” ___
Free Turkey and Ham! Is it but a Scam?Nikola Jokic continues to bloat the stat sheet, now becoming proficient in the quadruple-double: scoring, rebounding, passing and yelling. What’s going on with the NBA’s best player? I got pushback when for the roster construction in early November and again last week when . One thing is clear: It is becoming increasingly impossible to ignore Jokic’s frustration with his teammates, with the losses, with the wild inconsistency of the 16-12 start. Jokic showed his emotions on multiple occasions during a . The NBA attempted to straight-arm the NFL for relevance with terrific early games, including a Steph Curry-LeBron James classic. Then the Nuggets decided to disappear defensively midway through the fourth quarter of their nightcap. What could have been a fourth straight win instead became another reason to question the makeup of this team after the Suns pulled away with an 11-0 run. Three themes continue to linger 35% of the way through this season: a simmering Jokic, a disappointing Jamal Murray and an unserious bench. First, there is Jokic. He is playing the best basketball of his career, adding DNA accuracy from the 3-point line to his repertoire. He ranks second in points (30.7), and third in rebounds (12.4) and assists (9.4). He is not immune to criticism, as he had defensive issues and lapses through the first two months. But he is not the problem. It is everything around him. And he has verbalized this more than at any other point in his career. Even if you hit the eggnog too hard Wednesday, how could you miss the following sequence? At 8:40 left in the third quarter, Jokic threw both arms in the air in exasperation after a loose ball turned into a Bradley Beal 3-pointer. Soon after, Michael Porter Jr. made a poor kickout pass to Jokic that Beal tipped away. As Jokic began to chase Beal down the court for an inevitable layup, he stretched his arms out and screamed in disgust. Put it this way: He did not appear upset with himself. It is becoming part of a pattern, no longer an isolated incident. Everyone from coach Michael Malone to general manager Calvin Booth and president Josh Kroenke better take notice. The greatest player in the world is losing his patience. Any other modern NBA superstar would have gotten his coach fired or a teammate cut by now. Jokic has forever been a selfless teammate, but this season is testing his limits. Remember, he raised eyebrows on Dec. 3 when asked what he has learned about his team: “That we can surprise in a good way, bad way, everybody. Literally everybody.” Five days later, he after . “In my country, where I’m coming from, after this kind of stretch, you’re gonna get a paycheck that is a little bit less than you are worth,” Jokic said. “Maybe that’s what we need to do.” Are you listening coach, Booth, boss? What is it going to take before changes are made? With Aaron Gordon (calf) facing another absence, it is hard to see things getting easier as the schedule becomes tougher with 21 games in 37 days. How much more can Jokic take before spewing lava? That’s a question to be answered sooner rather than later, it appears. What’s wrong with Murray? That could take longer — everyone on his side continues to preach how he is a slow starter — and the Nuggets no longer have the luxury of time. When Denver decided not to incur luxury tax penalties and trust younger players, it came with an understanding: Murray has to play big. Not just in the playoffs, but every game. Even with improvement lately, the signs remain ominous. Murray is logging a career high in minutes (36.4), while his field goal attempts (15.8) and 3-point percentage (.349) rank their lowest since 2019-20. Wednesday’s loss symbolized his season. He made a couple of breathtaking baskets, but lacked assertiveness — he took 10 shots in 39 minutes, and only two 3s — and is a defensive liability. Maybe the lack of nightly explosiveness traces to injuries — his foot, his ankle — and if that’s the case, I will be the first to acknowledge this context. But right now, he’s not good enough for his max contract. And if this is who he is, the Nuggets have invested $207 million in someone closer to the Bulls’ Coby White than an All-Star. You can tiptoe around it and gloss over the stats if it makes you feel better. But let’s not pretend this is not a thing and won’t remain so until Murray shows offensive aggressiveness and consistency. As for the bench, it is a problem. Peyton Watson and Julian Strawther have yet to turn the corner. And the best reserve is making a case for a promotion. Russell Westbrook is better than Christian Braun right now, as the former Kansas star has fallen into a shooting slump, going 3 for 22 from behind the arc over his last 10 games. So, sure, you can wait to see what kind of season this will be, and cross your fingers leading up to the Feb. 6 trade deadline. But as you hold your breath, ask yourself, how much longer will Jokic hold back?