President-elect Donald Trump said on Friday in a post on Truth Social, his social media platform, that the Republican administration under him "use its best efforts" to do away with Daylight Saving Time. "The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn't!" Trump wrote. "Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation." Daylight Saving Time (DST) is the practice of moving the clocks forward by one hour during the warmer months to extend evening daylight. It typically starts in the spring and ends in the fall. In most countries that observe DST, it starts on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. There have been several political efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time (DST) in recent years. Along with the President-elect, his "first buddy" Elon Musk has also voiced support for abolishing DST. Before Trump's recent announcement, Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott introduced the Sunshine Protection bill in 2018 to make DST permanent nationwide. In 2019, Washington passed a bill to adopt permanent DST, however, it is pending federal approval. Similarly, in 2018, Florida passed the "Sunshine Protection Act" to keep DST year-round. In 2018, California voters passed Proposition 7 to potentially adopt permanent DST. But federal approval in both these cases is still pending. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from US News, World and around the world.
Accused in bush bash shooting testifies claiming he feared for his life
I flew business class from Australia with Vietnam Airlines. Here's what you can expectAdvancements in DNA technology and a surge of public interest are rekindling hope for breakthroughs in the long-unsolved murder of 6-year-old JonBenét Ramsey, a case that has remained a haunting mystery for nearly 28 years. As new techniques emerge and fresh attention is drawn to the evidence, many are eager for answers that could finally bring closure to this tragic story. JonBenét, who was found dead in the basement of her Boulder, Colorado, home in 1996, remains frozen in time. Her father, John Ramsey, has endured nearly three decades without justice, answers or his daughter. "JonBenét's still my 6-year-old blond-headed daughter who I love dearly," Ramsey told ABC News. "I did run into one of her little friends on the street who is now, you know, 30 and an adult. And it was, it was a little bit of a shock. This little girl played with JonBenét at our house all the time. And that was a little bit of a jolt to think, wow, that could have been JonBenét." Watch the full story on the "20/20" episode, "Forever Young: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey?" featuring a new interview with John Ramsey and never-before-seen footage from the iconic Barbara Walters interview with parents John and Patsy Ramsey. Ramsey, now 81 years old, has renewed hope that his daughter's killer can finally be found. He is confident that advances in DNA technology, including genetic genealogy that has helped to solve several high-profile cold case, are the key to solving this mystery. "Let's do a reverse family tree and see if he had a relative living in Boulder in 1996. The interesting thing about these cold cases," Ramsey said. "The ultimate first arrest came out of nowhere. They were on no one's radar. They've done this horrible crime and nobody said that that guy's a suspect. That's what we're asking the police to do." Over the years, Ramsey expressed frustration with the police for not solving his daughter's case. He was unhappy with being a prime suspect for 12 years and that the department rejected offers of help to find viable evidence.He recently took part in a new Netflix docuseries, "Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey?" The series dives into lingering mysteries surrounding the tragic case, exploring evidence, interviews and theories that have emerged over the years. Ramsey collaborated with director Joe Berlinger, who aimed to illuminate what he described as one of the most victimized families in American history. "Obviously, he wasn't legally wrongfully convicted, but he was wrongfully convicted," Berlinger said. "And his wife Patsy -- the family were wrongfully convicted in the court of public opinion." The popular docuseries ignited a new wave of interest among viewers. Ramsey is hopeful that recent changes in the Boulder Police Department's leadership and better communication with his family may lead to a resolution in the case. The Boulder police department has addressed the recent scrutiny. Last month, the current police chief released a video statement. "So much of how law enforcement works has changed in the last 30 years," Stephen Redfearn said. "There are a number of things that people have pointed to throughout the years that could have been done better and we acknowledge that as true. However, it is important to emphasize that while we cannot go back to that horrible day in 1996, our goal is to find JonBenét Ramsey's killer." That tragic day in 1996 began in the picturesque Boulder neighborhood where the Ramsey family lived. On Dec. 26, John and Patsy Ramsey woke up to find that JonBenét, a child beauty queen, was missing. A handwritten ransom note demanding $118,000 -- the exact sum of John's bonus that year -- was discovered on the kitchen stairs. Seven hours later, John found his daughter's lifeless body in a small basement room. An autopsy determined JonBenét was sexually assaulted and strangled, and her skull was fractured. Unknown DNA was found under her fingernails and in her underwear. The Ramseys quickly became suspects, even though no evidence connected them to the crime. The family has always denied any involvement in JonBenét's murder. However, the Boulder District Attorney's Office took 12 years to fully exonerate the Ramseys and their son Burke, who was 9 years old when his sister died. As weeks went by without any arrests in the case, a media frenzy began to build, fueled by relentless tabloid images of JonBenét participating in beauty pageants. A number of leads emerged, including a man named John Mark Karr, who confessed to the killing in 2006. However, his DNA did not match the evidence and he was not in Boulder at the time of the murder, so he was eliminated as a suspect. The case remained unsolved. John Ramsey believes that a cloud still hangs over his family, as he thinks there are people in the country who think he and his late wife, Patsy, who died in 2006, are responsible for JonBenét's murder. Investigator Lou Smit, who was initially brought into the case by Boulder County District Attorney Alex Hunter, came to believe early in his investigation that the Ramseys were innocent. He thought that the police should be looking at the possibility of an intruder. "I'm not saying parents don't kill their kids ... parents do kill their children," Smit said in his tapes. "But [ the police ] are trying to say Patsy did it. ... Their actions before, during and after [ JonBenét's death ] are all consistent with innocent people. ... They didn't do it." As the investigation progressed Smit became increasingly concerned that authorities had completely ruled out the chance of an intruder being responsible for JonBenét's death. As a result, they weren't searching for evidence that might support this possibility. Smit continued to maintain that an unidentified intruder was responsible for JonBenét's murder. However, he was running out of time due to his colon cancer diagnosis in 2010. Before Smit died on Aug. 11 of that year, he diligently compiled a detailed list of persons of interest, hoping that his years of investigative work would eventually pay off. Smit passed his files to his surviving children, including a spreadsheet with 887 names of potential suspects to be investigated.That list is extensive, but Smit's family is determined to continue their search. Since his death, the team has cleared several individuals from that list, according to Smit's granddaughter Jessa Van Der Woerd. However, the process is slow due to the time and costs involved in locating each person, obtaining their DNA and testing it. "We've let the killer walk for more than 28 years," John Ramsey said. "I think it's imperative that we investigate every credible suspect that's been provided."
Things to watch this week in the Big 12 Conference: Game of the week No. 14 BYU (9-1, 6-1 Big 12, No. 14 CFP) at No. 21 Arizona State (8-2, 5-2, No. 21), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN) League newcomer Arizona State has a three-game winning streak and BYU is coming off its first loss. The Cougars, after losing at home to Kansas, still control their own destiny in making the Big 12 championship game. They can clinch a spot in that Dec. 7 game as early as Saturday, if they win and instate rival Utah wins at home against No. 22 Iowa State. Arizona State was picked at the bottom of the 16-team league in the preseason media poll, but already has a five-win improvement in coach Kenny Dillingham's second season. The undercard People are also reading... No. 16 Colorado (8-2, 6-1, No. 16 CFP) at Kansas (4-6, 3-4), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (Fox) Coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes are in prime position to make the Big 12 title game in their return to the league after 13 seasons in the Pac-12. If BYU and Utah win, Colorado would be able to claim the other title game spot with a win over Kansas. The Buffs have a four-game winning streak. The Jayhawks need another November win over a ranked Big 12 contender while trying to get bowl eligible for the third season in a row. Kansas has won consecutive games over Top 25 teams for the first time in school history, knocking off Iowa State before BYU. Impact players Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht has thrown a touchdown in a school-record 14 consecutive games, while receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel both have more than 800 yards receiving. San Jose State is the only other FBS team with a pair of 800-yard receivers. Becht has 2,628 yards and 17 touchdowns passing for the Cyclones (8-2, 5-2), who are still in Big 12 contention. Inside the numbers Oklahoma State goes into its home finale against Texas Tech with a seven-game losing streak, its longest since a nine-game skid from 1977-78. The only longer winless streak since was an 0-10-1 season in 1991. This is Mike Gundy's 20th season as head coach, and his longest losing streak before now was five in a row in 2005, his first season and the last time the Cowboys didn't make a bowl game. ... Baylor plays at Houston for the first time since 1995, the final Southwest Conference season. The Cougars won last year in the only meeting since to even the series 14-14-1. ... Eight Big 12 teams are bowl eligible. As many as six more teams could reach six wins. Repeating 1,000 The Big 12 already has four 1,000-yard rushers, including three who did it last season. UCF's RJ Harvey is the league's top rusher (1,328 yards) and top scorer with 21 touchdowns (19 rushing/two receiving). The others with consecutive 1,000-yard seasons are Texas Tech career rushing leader Tahj Brooks (1,184 yards) and Kansas State's DJ Giddens (1,128 yards). Cam Skattebo with league newcomer Arizona State has 1,074 yards. Devin Neal, the career rushing leader at his hometown university, is 74 yards shy of being the first Kansas player with three 1,000-yard seasons. Cincinnati's Corey Kiner needs 97 yards to reach 1,000 again. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!ZAYN Malik has broken his silence after leaving fans devastated by cancelling a sell-out gig just minutes before he was due to take to the stage. The Former One Direction star was due to perform at a packed-out O2 City Hall in Newcastle on Tuesday night. Fans were eagerly waiting for the Stairway to the Sky set to get underway when it was announced on the tannoy the show had been cancelled. A spokesperson speaking from the stage said the show would not be going ahead. They said: "We apologise for the late notice. It was his fervent hope that he would be able to continue with the show. This is no longer possible. "Please contact your point of purchase for details of reschedules and refunds. If you have parents or guardians collecting you please stay within the auditorium and wait to be collected." read more on Zayn Malik Taking to Instagram , the 31-year-old singer wrote an explanation on his stories: He wrote: "I'm so sorry to do this but my voice just isn't there at all tonight and without it, there's no show. "I'm truly sorry to let you down, especially at such short notice...I held onto hope until the very last moment. "I'm hopeful with some rest tonight I'll be back on stage tomorrow. Most read in Music "My deepest apologies Newcastle love you all xx." FLOODS OF TEARS Devastated fans were seen streaming out of the O2 City Hall in floods of tears. Courtni Clarke, 19, had queued for 36 hours to make sure she got to the front of the standing section to get as close as possible to her favourite singer. But, despite the tears on her face, the bar worker from Leeds says that she is only concerned about Zayn's health . She said: "I hope he's ok. One of the security guards told us they don't even know if he made it here. "It's a disappointment but also a worry. I'm a very, very big fan of Zayn. We got no information of what happened." Clarke and other fans spoke about how they paid £150 for tickets plus additional costs for travel to get to the venue. She called the last-minute cancellation a "deep wound" after seeing the other members of One Direction singing on their solo tours and now no longer being able to see Liam sing live. Kitty Heidt, 20, a law student at Durham University arrived at 7pm to get into the venue. "We were very excited to get in," she said. "If he didn't show up, they should have told us. We waited an hour inside anything before it was cancelled." "It's a waste of time. I'm upset and disappointed," another fan said. Others defended the singer saying, "A lot of fans care more about them seeing him than his well being. "I'm happy to miss it as long as he's okay." Zayn is set to wrap up his tour in Edinburgh in just a few days. READ MORE SUN STORIES The US leg of the tour was postponed after the death of his former bandmate Liam Payne who he has paid tribute to at previous UK shows in Manchester and Leeds. Liam tragically died on October 16 after falling from a balcony at his hotel in Argentina.Analysis: Getting benched may have been best thing that happened to Bryce Young, Anthony Richardson
ARIES (March 21 to April 19) If you're not really in a fun or festive mood, that's OK. Give yourself permission to take it easy and lay low. TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Detach from emotionally charged or draining situations and avoid trying to control others and their behaviour. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Be mindful of trying to pack too much into a day. Creating a schedule that's easy to stick to can save you valuable time and energy. CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Try not to let your emotions drive your decision-making. Take an objective approach. LEO (July 23 to Aug. 22) You might be feeling noticeably irritable. Set aside some time for self-care. Also, don't take what others say or do too personally since it's probably not about you. VIRGO (Aug. 23 to Sept. 22) Stress or nervous tension could be an issue. Connect with someone who makes you feel calm and grounded. LIBRA (Sept. 23 to Oct. 22) It's a good day to avoid the crowds, take a break from social media and put the outside world on hold. There may be more important things that deserve your attention. SCORPIO (Oct. 23 to Nov. 21) Just because you can do something doesn't always mean you should make it your job or responsibility. Find a more enjoyable activity. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 to Dec. 21) Consider refraining from sharing unsolicited opinions or advice. Pick and choose your battles wisely. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 to Jan. 19) If you're feeling uneasy about something, perhaps it's best to discuss it, rather than sweeping it under the rug. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 to Feb. 18) Someone may try to get a rise out of you. Don't take the bait. PISCES (Feb. 19 to Mar 20) Take care not to overextend yourself or take on more than you can handle. Set good boundaries for yourself. You're versatile and resourceful. You can adapt to any situation or environment. Your unwavering hope and belief in the goodness of the universe allow you to take risks without fear. You're also not afraid to say what's on your mind or share your opinions. Although you may need to be mindful of oversharing. Still, people appreciate you for your witty observations and encouraging attitude. This year, don't discount the power of rest and reflection. It will help you to better identify what's for you and what's not.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The very close election for a North Carolina Supreme Court seat heads next to a hand recount even as election officials announced a machine recount of over 5.5 million ballots resulted in no margin change between the candidates. The statewide machine recount — in which ballots were run again through tabulators — that wrapped up this week showed Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs with a 734-vote lead over Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin, who is a Court of Appeals judge. Most county election boards reported minor vote changes from the machine recount requested by Griffin. But State Board of Elections data showed the post-recount lead exactly the same as what Riggs held after all 100 counties fully completed their ballot canvass in November. Griffin led Riggs by about 10,000 votes on election night, but that lead dwindled and flipped to Riggs as tens of thousands of qualifying provisional and absentee ballots were added to the totals through the canvass. Griffin, who already has pending election protests challenging the validity of more than 60,000 ballots counted statewide, has asked for a partial hand-to-eye recount, which county boards will start Wednesday or Thursday. The partial hand recount applies to ballots in 3% of the voting sites in all 100 counties, chosen at random Tuesday by the state board. Once the partial recount is complete, a statewide hand recount would be ordered if the sample results differ enough from the machine recount that the result would be reversed if the difference were extrapolated to all ballots. Riggs, who was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2023 and now seeks an eight-year term, again claimed victory Tuesday. In a campaign news release, spokesperson Embry Owen said Griffin “needs to immediately concede – losing candidates must respect the will of voters and not needlessly waste state resources.” Riggs is one of two Democrats on the seven-member court. Through attorneys, Griffin has challenged ballots that he says may not qualify for several reasons and cast doubt on the election result. Among them: voter registration records of some voters casting ballots lack driver's license or partial Social Security numbers, and overseas voters never living in North Carolina may run afoul of state residency requirements. State and county boards are considering the protests. Griffin's attorneys on Monday asked the state board to accelerate the matters before it and make a final ruling early next week. "Our priority remains ensuring that every legal vote is counted and that the public can trust the integrity of this election,” state Republican Party spokesperson Matt Mercer said in a news release. Final rulings by the state board can be appealed to state court. Joining Griffin in protests are three Republican legislative candidates who still trailed narrowly in their respective races after the machine recounts. The Supreme Court race and two of these three legislative races have not been called by The Associated Press. The key pending legislative race is for a House seat covering Granville County and parts of Vance County. Republican Rep. Frank Sossamon trails Democratic challenger Bryan Cohn by 228 votes, down from 233 votes before the recount. Sossamon also asked for a partial hard recount in his race, which was to begin Tuesday. Should Cohn win, Republicans will fall one seat short of the 72 needed in the 120-member House to retain its veto-proof majority — giving more leverage to Democratic Gov.-elect Josh Stein in 2025. Senate Republicans already have won 30 of the 50 seats needed to retain its supermajority in their chamber. The AP on Tuesday did call another legislative race not subject to a protest, as Mecklenburg County GOP Rep. Tricia Cotham won her reelection bid over Democrat Nicole Sidman. A machine recount showed Cotham ahead of Sidman by 213 votes, compared to 216 after the county canvass. Cotham’s switch from the Democrats to the Republicans in April 2023 secured the Republicans' 72-seat veto-proof majority so that Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s vetoes could be overridden by relying solely on GOP lawmakers. Gary D. Robertson, The Associated PressCommon Myths About Dental Implants Debunked by Highland Implant Center
Carson Beck’s season is officially over. Georgia’s starting quarterback underwent successful surgery to repair his UCL in his right elbow on Monday, the school announced. He’s expected to make a full recovery, but this means that Beck will miss the entirety of . Beck initially went down in the first half of Georgia’s win over Texas in the SEC Championship earlier this month. His arm was hit hard by a Longhorns defender as he tried to make a final throw before halftime, which knocked the ball loose and left him curled up in a lot of pain on the ground. A whole lot happened on the final play of the first half. — Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) Beck missed the second half of the game, though backup quarterback Gunner Stockton took over and led the Bulldogs to the win in overtime. That secured them a spot in the College Football Playoff and an automatic bye to the Sugar Bowl. They’ll take on Notre Dame in the quarterfinals on Jan. 1. in the playoffs ever since the injury, and had considered his return “unlikely.” Beck will finish the year having thrown for 3,485 yards, 28 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. It’s unclear how the injury will impact him in the pre-draft process. Beck was not listed in the first round of , though there aren’t a ton of great quarterbacks in this draft class. If Beck can throw ahead of the draft in April, his stock could theoretically rise — though this injury will undoubtedly make that much more difficult. Stockton went 12-of-16 for 71 yards and threw an interception against Texas in the SEC title game. Trevor Etienne ran in a 4-yard touchdown in overtime to seal the 22-19 win, though Beck returned for that play to hand the ball off. Stockton has appeared in three games this season, and has thrown for 206 yards and completed 25 passes. The sophomore recruit and the No. 2 quarterback in his class coming out of high school. Stockton is expected to get the start against the Fighting Irish in the Sugar Bowl. Notre Dame, which rolled over Indiana 27-17 in the first round, is listed as a 1.5-point underdog against Georgia in the quarterfinals on . While the Bulldogs' chances at a third title in the last four years have undoubtedly diminished with Beck's absence, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart has had plenty of extra practice time to get Stockton ready to go. “Well, I would say just experience [helps Stockton], right?” Smart said on Monday, . “I do think knowing when you get ready for an opponent like Notre Dame, you need time. ... We prepared for some of that prior to that because we knew it would be one of two opponents. But I think the biggest thing is just competition and practice. The situations we put him in. All those things allow him to get better as a quarterback.”U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders has been a frequent critic of Elon Musk, clashing with the billionaire on numerous issues, including wealth inequality, foreign relations and space travel. But, now the pair are on the same page — at least when it comes to one issue. “Elon Musk is right,” Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats from Vermont, wrote in a Dec. 1 post on X, formerly Twitter. “The Pentagon, with a budget of $886 billion, just failed its 7th audit in a row. It’s lost track of billions,” he wrote. “Last year, only 13 senators voted against the Military Industrial Complex and a defense budget full of waste and fraud. That must change.” Musk responded to the post with American flag emojis, and wrote in a separate post, “Maybe we can find some common ground.” In November, the SpaceX and Tesla CEO was tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to lead a new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). DOGE will “provide advice and guidance from outside of government and will partner with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to drive large scale structural reform,” the president-elect wrote in a post on Truth Social. Musk, along with co-head Vivek Ramaswamy, plans to dramatically reduce the size of the federal government by recommending spending cuts and layoffs.Each year, on the first Saturday of December, our town hosts its annual holiday light-up night to kick off the festive season. Our is packed with vendors, goodies, local musicians, and reindeer games. Local businesses sling for the grownups and set up craft stations for the kids. The town kicks off the evening by welcoming Santa and Mrs. Claus to the town center where everybody cheers as the massive Christmas tree comes to life with thousands of twinkling lights. If I'm being honest, it's a scene straight out of a holiday movie. My husband and I have been attending this event for a decade, ever since we relocated to the tiny borough of Bellevue with infant twins and a toddler in tow. Since our first light-up night, the event has grown substantially — and so has our family. I'll admit it hasn't always been easy helping four kids navigate a main drag packed with a couple of thousand neighbors, but we trudge the two blocks to the center of town religiously every year. It's a chance to hug neighbors, let the kids run free, and celebrate the loving community we are so thankful to be a part of. I often hear other moms bemoan the "loss of the ," and the way modern motherhood can feel . This is true on many levels. Shifts in the fabric of American society have left today's mothers with less support than our moms had, and the 24-hour news cycle has left even more mothers fearful of leaning on their community. Thankfully, that has not been our experience. While I would like to say we magically found our "village," the truth is that sometimes we have to create one. It's not easy to lean on neighbors (or strangers), but I've learned over our decade in this little town that people are willing to look out for each other, if you open up your heart and let them. A few years ago, we briefly lost our youngest child at this very same holiday event. While those moments when she wasn't in our eyesight were terrifying, I knew in my gut during those frantic moments that the adults in our town were looking out for her. As a neighbor I barely knew hoisted my kiddo above the crowd so I could find her, I teared up. This we are a part of looks out for one another. Our kids are older now; 13, 11 (twins), and 6. We've given our big three more independence in our walkable town throughout the year. With kid-safe cell phones in hand and kid-friendly debit cards at their fingertips, we trusted our village enough to set them loose on the main street once that giant evergreen was shining brightly at the center of town. While my 13-year-old and one of my 11-year-old twins spent some time with us throughout the evening, our son Ezra disappeared into the festive fray almost immediately. I wasn't surprised. He's extroverted and and has never met a festival he didn't love. For many parents, not seeing their fifth grader for two hours on a dark and chilly evening may induce panic, but this village we've built and come to rely on gave us the confidence to let him test his wings. The location dot on his cell phone let us know he was still at the event, and a few spending notifications told us he was well hydrated and warm, thanks to a pair of LED gloves he purchased from a street vendor. We heard snippets about Ezra's evening from others. Our town librarian heard the DJ say his name at one point, and another friend let us know he helped pass out raffle baskets to the winners at the end of the evening. A let me know she told his friend group to move their horseplay away from some younger kids, and they readily complied. I thanked her for being willing to offer guidance when I didn't have eyes on him. "Sure," she said. "I would want you to do the same if you saw my kid being a knucklehead, too." We laughed, but I know she means it. Once the festivities had concluded, Ezra sent us a text asking if he could help the adults in charge clean up the event. We often say his big personality is paired with an even bigger heart. Of course we said yes. Once he finally burst through our front door at the end of the evening, brought home by a friend's older cousin, he was cold and exhausted. It was after 10 p.m. and he crashed quickly into bed. I asked him how his night went since we had not seen him for over two hours. "It was fun," he said. "I think I did everything they had to do." Within minutes, he was out cold. A few days later, a local photographer shared a photo album from the festivities. Within an hour I had a dozen text messages telling me to take a look. I opened the link and gasped. There was Ezra, on stage, holding a tambourine. The thousand-watt smile on his face says it all. He had the best night. I have never seen a photo that better encapsulates my son. Modern parenting is designed to provoke . From online urban legends and hysteria to a general lack of trust in our neighbors, it's easy to give into the temptation to clip our kids' wings and worry about how the world may harm them. I know the world is scary. I worry every day about my kids' safety. I worry about gun violence, online bullying, and the general divisiveness and hatred that seems to permeate today's culture. Rather than give into the temptation to shelter them at home, though, I've found strength in leaning on our community and working hard to foster independence in our kids. With a bit of help from modern technology and a whole lot of help from trusted adults, teaching our kids to navigate the world on their own feels like the best possible tool we can give them. Read the original article on
Two innocent children will be abandoned outside of the Canada Life Centre Thursday night before the Winnipeg Jets take on the Vegas Golden Knights. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * Two innocent children will be abandoned outside of the Canada Life Centre Thursday night before the Winnipeg Jets take on the Vegas Golden Knights. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? Two innocent children will be abandoned outside of the Canada Life Centre Thursday night before the Winnipeg Jets take on the Vegas Golden Knights. It’s all part of a penniless single father’s plan to give his kids a leg-up, says Debbie Patterson, the director and co-writer of Sick + Twisted Theatre’s Hansel & Gretel in Portage Place, premièring Thursday night in the Colin Jackson Theatre at Prairie Theatre Exchange and running to Dec. 22. “We’re imagining that Hansel (Emily King), Gretel (Carlyn Graff-Czehryn) and their father (Michael Schellenberg) live in a tiny house in the old parking lot behind the mall, and that the house is going to be demolished during the (mall’s upcoming) renovation,” explains Patterson, who co-wrote the show with Fiona Smith and Andrea von Wichert. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS From left: Emily King (Hansel), Michael Schellenberg (Father) and Carlyn Graff-Czehryn (Gretel) star in Sick + Twisted’s take on the Brothers’ Grimm classic., Hansel and Gretel. “The dad can’t afford to get a new place, so he decides to abandon the kids outside a Jets game, hoping that someone rich enough to buy tickets would be rich enough to give his kids a better life.” Soon, the overall-clad kinder make their way to the last candy shop in Portage Place, where they’re in for an unsavoury surprise. Fictionalized with inspiration drawn from reality, is Sick + Twisted’s second annual holiday panto, the company’s take on a genre of live theatre teeming with comedy, musical numbers, gags and slapstick. With the audience encouraged to cheer for its heroes and boo any villains, the panto style engages playfully with the rigid barriers one might expect from a production in a seated theatre setting. For this year’s show, the writers decided to put a theatrical twist on arguably the biggest story in the ongoing saga of downtown Winnipeg: the proposed redevelopment of Portage Place. Having seen an early rendering of a reimagined mall, the writers considered how to comment, landing on a Brothers Grimm tale of cautionary consumption, navigational breadcrumbs and the cannibalistic tendencies of capitalistic adventures. “After they’re left outside, the kids find their way to Portage Place where a single candy store is still in operation,” Patterson says, a subtle allusion to the downtown as a food desert. Under pressure to change their business model to better suit the wellness bent of the mall’s new owners, the chocolatiers pivot to health bars, but where oh where will they find a cheap source of protein? After writing the script in September, the production was given renewed relevance when in November the real estate development arm of True North, the entity which owns the Winnipeg Jets, officially acquired the 37-year-old shopping centre, along with the land it stands on and all associated assets. The $650-million redevelopment plan will include 216 housing units, a health services tower, a main-floor grocery store, community centres and social agency spaces. The news of Portage Place’s next phase of life piqued Patterson’s interest. After moving to Winnipeg from Thunder Bay in 1992, her first job was in the mall, running Prairie Theatre Exchange’s annual Robert Munsch show, adapting the children’s author’s work for a live audience. “Back then it was a fancy new mall. They had Holt Renfrew and Birks,” she says. 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. In recent years, though the mall’s food court has remained a vital gathering space and the Pitikwe Skate Park (inside the former Staples) has become an exciting beacon of youth-centred community space, most of the neighbours PTE had when it moved to the mall in 1989 have jumped ship. The corporate exodus from Portage Place, and the mall’s upcoming redevelopment, stimulated the writers to consider the way land is used in the city and “how capitalism changes the way we interact with each other and with the land,” Patterson says. That’s very much in line with the ethos of Sick + Twisted, a company that consistently challenges the status quo while poking fun at real-world issues. Founded in 2016, the company was created to address the lack of representation of deaf and disabled people in the professional theatre industry. The latest transformation of Portage Place, which True North Real Estate Development expects to be complete by 2028, will continue to dominate headlines for the next three years and beyond. With its version of , Sick + Twisted will get out ahead of the conversation. If it were up to Patterson, a newly imagined Portage Place would begin with an open door. “I think making the community feel welcome here should be the priority,” she says. ben.waldman@winnipegfreepress.com “The face of the city is changing,” a full-page advertisement declared in the Sept. 16, 1987 edition of the Winnipeg Free Press. When the ribbon was cut on Portage Place, the vision was grand: in addition to more than 150 storefronts, the mall touted a 10,000-square-foot town square featuring a massive clocktower, with “a showcase of extensive cultural, community and entertainment events featured under the 100-foot-high skylight atrium. The retailers included Radio Shack — complete with a Plus Computer Centre; the Muffin Oven, “the originator of the sugar-free muffin,”; Faces, a cosmetics store; Pantorama, which sold not only trousers but “tops, jackets and sweaters galore,”; a two-floor restaurant called Picasso’s; W.H. Smith and McNally Robinson booksellers; Mariposa/Boppers, selling “casual clothes for mom and daughter,”; Tall Girl, specializing in sizes 18-20; Baskin Robbins, named in part for Winnipeg-born founder Irv Robbins; a short-lived downtown excursion by Gunn’s Bakery; Lawley’s of London, for all your Royal Doulton needs; and Wicks ‘n Sticks, which invited customers to “light a little fire under your life with this array of candles, lanterns and candlestick holders.” Need something else to light? Check out the United Cigar Store. When the mall officially opened on Sept. 17, a draw was held for one lucky customer to drive away in their choice of a 1988 Lincoln Mark VII or a Merkur Scorpio luxury sedan, courtesy of Landau and McPhillips Lincoln-Mercury dealers. Based in Germany, where Hansel and Gretel were raised, the Merkur brand shut down in 1989, effectively ending Scorpio Season and putting Merkur in the same conversation as the Edsel when it comes to notorious automotive flops. Ben Waldman is a National Newspaper Award-nominated reporter on the Arts & Life desk at the . Born and raised in Winnipeg, Ben completed three internships with the while earning his degree at Ryerson University’s (now Toronto Metropolitan University’s) School of Journalism before joining the newsroom full-time in 2019. . Every piece of reporting Ben produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the ‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about , and . Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider . Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.NYT photo The rebels who are now Syria's de facto rulers have started to make their mark on the country's govt. They took control of Aleppo just two weeks ago, but already police officers are in the streets sporting new uniforms, administrators are busy in the halls of govt and there are posters on lampposts with QR codes directing people to updates on govt policy. Gone are the ubiquitous photos of ousted president Bashar al-Assad , whose visage, like that of his father before him, had dominated the city. The Assad regime controlled the country for decades, then crumbled in days. It has been replaced by rebel factions led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham . With all eyes on the rebels' plans for the future, Aleppo offers early hints on how the group might approach governance - at least in the immediate future. The group is vowing to maintain security and continuity, aiming to avoid the kind of power vacuum that has followed other Arab revolutions or regime changes. Over the past week, there have been flashes of normalcy in the city, residents said, expressing some hope for the future. The rebels took over much of the city on Nov 27. After capturing Aleppo, the fighters moved on, leaving the city in the hands of its bureaucrats to preserve govt institutions, said HTS chief Abu Mohammad al-Jolani. In Aleppo, new billboards have quickly appeared. On one, the new justice minister, Shadi Muhammad al-Waisi, proclaimed the era of oppression was over. Once Syria's commercial hub, Aleppo's factories and businesses were largely destroyed during the civil war. "Justice and equality are the rulers after today," the billboard read. Another billboard featured the finance minister: "Be assured people of Aleppo," the banner reads, "your property and your money are protected." On Monday in Aleppo, an administrator with the rebel group asked members of the city council if they were ready to continue to do their work. They all appeared willing. In the immediate days after the rebels captured Aleppo, the city remained stunned and quiet. But within days, prices at shops, on public transportation and at the gas pump skyrocketed. The price of a minibus ride quadrupled from 1,000 Syrian pounds to 4,000, or about $1.60. But residents said some costs have levelled off, and though there were reports of theft, many said they were starting to feel more secure. A resident of Sulaymaniyah, a Christian neighbourhood, said owners of liquor stores feared their stocks would be destroyed. But the rebels didn't comes near the shops, he said. Christians account for about 5% of Syria's population. On the day rebels captured Aleppo, some rebels reportedly went to homes in Christian neighbourhoods to reassure them of their safety, residents said. Analysts say rebels' treatment of minorities could be a harbinger of how they will expand from their corner of the country to the rest of Syria.