SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) — Persistent high surf and flooding threats along California’s coast had residents on high alert a day after a major storm was blamed for one man’s death and the partial collapse of a pier , which propelled three people into the Pacific Ocean. The National Weather Service on Christmas Eve warned of dangerous, large-breaking waves of up to 35 feet (10.7 meters). Its latest high surf warning will be in effect until 6 p.m. Tuesday. “Large waves can sweep across the beach without warning, pulling people into the sea from rocks, jetties and beaches,” the weather service said in a Christmas Eve bulletin. In Santa Cruz, where a municipal wharf under construction partially collapsed on Monday, most beaches were cordoned off as they were inundated with high surf and debris. Residents received an alert on their phones Tuesday morning notifying them to “avoid all beaches including coastal overlook areas such as rocks, jetties or cliffs.” It warned powerful waves could sweep entire beaches unexpectedly. Local officials said there could be further damage to the wharf, but no more pieces broke off overnight. The wharf collapsed and fell into the ocean midday Monday, taking three people with it. Two people were rescued by lifeguards and a third swam to safety. No one was seriously injured. Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley said in the weeks and months ahead officials will have to assess long-term solutions for protecting the coastal city from the impacts of climate change . “Hallelujah that no one was hurt in this, which could have been orders of magnitude worse in terms of any injuries to human beings and damage to property onshore and offshore,” he said at a media briefing Tuesday. “But I think we have somewhat of a question mark as we move through time,” he added. “And I don't think we're by ourselves. I think this is what coastal communities around the world are probably dealing with.” The structure was in the middle of a $4 million renovation following destructive storms last winter about 70 miles (112 kilometers) south of San Francisco. “It’s a catastrophe for those down at the end of the wharf,” said David Johnston, who was allowed onto the pier on Monday to check on his business, Venture Quest Kayaking. Tony Elliot, the head of the Santa Cruz Parks & Recreation Department, estimated that about 150 feet (45 meters) of the end of the wharf fell into the water. It was immediately evacuated and will remain closed indefinitely. Some of the wharf’s pilings are still in the ocean and remain “serious, serious hazards” to boats, the mayor said. Each piling weighs hundreds of pounds and is being pushed by powerful waves. “You are risking your life, and those of the people that would need to try and save you by getting in or too close to the water,” the National Weather Service’s Bay Area office said on the social platform X. Building inspectors were looking at the rest of the pier’s structural integrity. Some California cities ordered beachfront homes and hotels to evacuate early Monday afternoon as forecasters warned that storm swells would continue to increase throughout the day. In Watsonville along the Monterey Bay, first responders were called to Sunset State Beach, a state park, around 11:30 a.m. Monday for a report of a man trapped under debris. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office believes a large wave pinned him there. The man was pronounced dead at a hospital. The storm’s high surf also likely pulled another man into the Pacific Ocean around noon Monday at Marina State Beach, nearly 13 miles (21 kilometers) south of Watsonville, authorities said. Strong currents and high waves forced searchers to abandon their efforts roughly two hours later as conditions worsened. The man remained missing Monday evening. Further south in Carmel Bay, a man remained missing as of Tuesday afternoon after reports that someone was swept off the rocks into the ocean at Pebble Beach on Monday, local emergency responders said. The U.S. Coast Guard will "transition to a recovery search as ocean conditions improve in the coming days,” officials said in a statement. In a post on X, the National Weather Service office in Portland, Oregon, said, “It will likely go down as some of the highest surf this winter.” Dazio reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press writers Sophie Austin in Sacramento and Jaimie Ding in Los Angeles contributed.
The Canadian government condemned China on Tuesday for taking steps against two Canadian institutions and 20 people involved in human rights issues concerning the Uyghurs and Tibet. China announced the measures, which included asset freezes and bans on entry, on Sunday. Its targets included the Canada-based Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project and the Canada-Tibet Committee, China's foreign ministry said. "Global Affairs Canada expresses solidarity with the members of the Canadian Tibet Committee and the Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project and condemns the decision by the Chinese Government to punish them for speaking out for human rights," the Canadian government said in a statement. The Canadian statement urged China to respect its obligations under international law while also urging Canadians to exercise a high degree of caution in China due to the risk of arbitrary enforcement of local laws. Rights groups accuse Beijing of widespread abuses of Uyghurs, a mainly Muslim ethnic minority that numbers around 10 million in the western region of Xinjiang, including the mass use of forced labor in camps. Beijing denies any abuses. China seized control of Tibet in 1950 in what it describes as a "peaceful liberation" from feudalistic serfdom. International human rights groups and exiles, however, have routinely condemned what they call China's oppressive rule in Tibetan areas. "The Government of Canada will not tolerate any threats, acts of violence or harassment of people in Canada or their family and friends because of their political opinions or to silence dissenting viewpoints," the Canadian government said. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Richard Chang)a reality as Floyd Mayweather and stood face-to-face in a memorable picture taken on July 12, 2017, by lauded combat photographer Esther Lin. The two fighters were at the Budweiser Stage in Toronto on the second stop of a world tour to promote their upcoming boxing match on Aug. 26, 2017. McGregor, dressed to the nines in a royal blue suit, his arm outstretched in Mayweather's face, beckoning him to bring it on. Mayweather, wearing black jeans, a black The Money Team T-shirt with a matching baseball cap -- and perhaps millions in jewelry -- pointing at his Irish opponent. A sea of fans stretched beyond what Lin's lens could capture. Plenty were there to see Mayweather, but many, if not more, were there to see McGregor. Irish flags and pro-McGregor signs were scattered throughout the crowd. While Mayweather had long been boxing's biggest cash cow, the realization that McGregor wasn't too far behind was crystallizing. McGregor matched Mayweather's wit on the microphone and left Toronto as the fan favorite. This moment solidified McGregor as one of the biggest attractions in combat sports and as a mainstream megastar. This wasn't just a fight but a global event that captured everyone's imagination. featuring two of the biggest superstars in combat sports devolved into a trash-talking, ego-measuring contest -- bringing out the worst in McGregor. Gone was the three-piece suit after the Toronto showdown, replaced with floral pants and a mink polar bear coat draped over his shirtless shoulders. What had been friendly, yet competitive banter transformed into racially insensitive and anti-gay verbal jabs. Mayweather was used to this kind of attention. McGregor -- four years removed from making a disclosed $24,000 for beating -- was entering new territory as a celebrity. "Conor was realizing that he was just as popular as Mayweather and he could have his audience," Lin, who has photographed McGregor and Mayweather in her career, told ESPN. "I don't know if he had it in him before that stop but he certainly embraced it during the tour and knew exactly how to ride that to the top." Just over a month later, Mayweather scored over McGregor. But the pain of losing was quickly remedied by the massive success of the event that earned McGregor a guaranteed purse of $30 million according to the Nevada State Athletic Commission -- which the Irishman suggested ballooned when including the pay-per-view, gate, sponsorship revenue and merchandise sales -- for less than 30 minutes of work. The estimated $55.5 million live gate registered as the second biggest in boxing history, while fell shy of the 4.6 million . The $130 million payday dwarfed McGregor's for his UFC lightweight championship win over Eddie Alvarez. UFC president Dana White knew that the Conor McGregor of old was long gone. "Conor might never fight again," White told reporters at UFC headquarters in November 2017. "The guy's got $100 f---ing million. I've got guys that made less than that and were lawyers and went to school their whole life and quit working ... try to get up every day and get punched in the face when you have $100 million in the bank. "Money changes everything." McGregor has chased the professional and monetary highs he reached nearly seven years ago since the night he walked out of the boxing ring against Mayweather. What's transpired since 2017 is just one UFC win and countless setbacks, including: arrests, injuries, lawsuits and multiple allegations of sexual assault. • : McGregor returns to the sport of MMA in support of SBG Ireland teammate Charlie Ward at Bellator 187 in Dublin. to celebrate Ward's win before the fight was over and was involved in a melee. • : Dana White announces his intentions to strip McGregor of his lightweight title . The plan is to award the title to the winner of the scheduled fight between and on April 7. Ferguson pulled out of the bout on April 1 due to injury and was replaced on short notice by . • : Following UFC 223 media day, McGregor and about a dozen men stormed the loading dock at the Barclays Center in pursuit of Nurmagomedov, who slapped McGregor's teammate Artem Lobov early in the week. at a bus carrying UFC fighters, including Nurmagomedov. The dolly shattered a window, and the fragments injured , and . McGregor turned himself into the NYPD with three counts of assault and criminal mischief. White called the incident "the most disgusting thing that has ever happened in the history of the company." , it was announced that McGregor would end his and challenge Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title at UFC 229 on Oct. 6, 2018. Although there had been concerns about McGregor's behavior, White, less than a year removed from McGregor's cash-grab match with Mayweather, now scoffed at the notion that McGregor's desire to be the best fighter in the world had softened. "I wouldn't say this is a crossroads fight [for McGregor] ... this is a very important fight for both fighters," White said. "In my opinion, and it's crazy to say this because of how popular he is around the world, he's one of the most underrated fighters in the UFC." Unlike his previous feuds with opponents, there was an obvious and distinct mutual hatred between McGregor and Nurmagomedov. But White didn't think that their vitriol would manifest into anything he would have to be concerned about. "I don't think we're going to have any problems with these guys," White said. He couldn't have been more wrong. By the time UFC 229 fight week began, the fight had grown into one of the most hostile rivalries in UFC history. McGregor's trash talk toward Nurmagomedov , including taunting Nurmagomedov's Muslim faith by offering him whiskey to drink at a pre-fight news conference and referring to Nurmagomedov's Egyptian manager as a "terrorist." The tension was thick at a pre-fight news conference where Nurmagomedov was unwilling to wait for McGregor, who was late. A pro-McGregor crowd only incensed Nurmagomedov, who answered inquiries about his opponent, the bus attack and reiterated that this was less about defending his title and more about defeating his opponent. "Honestly for me, this is more than defending my title. For me, it's more than fight for the title, more than main event. For me, it's personal. Honestly, for me it's personal," Nurmagomedov said. "Of course this is biggest fight in UFC history and we're going to break record numbers ... but for me it's personal." Nurmagomedov departed , but that didn't stop the Irishman from holding court for his fans, trashing the champion and making it clear that it was also personal. "There is way deeper s--- than just a fight on Saturday night," McGregor said. "I'm going to settle this the noble way for myself and then see what happens after that ... f--- peace. There will never be peace here. I always say you should aim for peace but if you can't aim for peace, aim between the eyes. I'm gonna to aim right between that man's eyes and this is never over. Never, ever, ever over." It was a precursor to one of the ugliest scenes to occur at a UFC event in the promotion's history. When the two finally met in the Octagon at UFC 229, Nurmagomedov took out his frustrations on McGregor and dominated him with his trademark wrestling before forcing the Irishman to tap out to a neck crank in the fourth round. Even though an emphatic statement was made regarding who the dominant fighter was, Nurmagomedov wasn't quite through with McGregor and his team. The Dagestan fighter turned his attention to Team McGregor and engaged in a verbal tirade and launching himself at McGregor's training partner, Dillon Danis. An ugly melee ensued with fights taking place outside and inside the Octagon. Three members of Team Nurmagomedov jumped into the Octagon to attack McGregor before the Las Vegas Metro police detained those involved in the incident. McGregor was fined $50,000 and from the Nevada State Athletic Commission for his role in the brawl. Despite all of the ugliness, the event cemented McGregor as the UFC's biggest star as with an attendance of 20,034 fans for a live gate of $17.2 million -- the highest ever for an MMA event in Nevada -- while also netting a reported 2.4 million PPV buys, the largest for any MMA fight. However, the damage has been done to McGregor's aura as the best fighter in the world. And those closest to him had a front-row seat to witness McGregor's fall from grace. "He had a dream in his life to become something," McGregor trainer Colin Byrne said in the 2023 documentary "McGregor Forever." "He got to be the champion and then it came with all the other s---. That distraction, it pulls you, it pulls you, it pulls you away from what you wanted to be in the first place. "The Khabib fight was a kick in the hole and he deserved it. There's nothing nice about any of that. All that anger and the press conference and the incident after the fight. There are no winners in any of that, that's just all hate." • : for an undisclosed amount following UFC 223 bus attack, citing "serious personal, economic and other injury" and "severe emotional distress, mental trauma and/or bodily harm" in court papers filed to Kings County Supreme Court in Brooklyn, New York. • : and charged with strong-armed robbery and criminal mischief after attacking a fan in Miami who attempted to take a picture of McGregor with a cell phone. The charges and a subsequent civil suit are later dropped. • : that McGregor is under investigation for allegations of sexual assault at a Dublin hotel in December 2018. Shortly after the report, McGregor announced he was . This is the second time he has "retired" from MMA on social media. • : of McGregor punching 50-year-old Desmond Keogh at The Marble Arch Pub in Dublin. • : McGregor appears in court for assault charges from The Marble Arch Pub incident. • : to assault stemming from the attack on Keogh in April and fined $1,000. On Nov. 28, 2019, the UFC announced that to the Octagon at UFC 246 on Jan. 18 for a welterweight fight against Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone, ending a 15-month hiatus since losing to Nurmagomedov. "Conor wants to fight three times this year," . "He's hoping he can turn right around and fight Khabib, but that timing isn't going to work out. But Conor thinks the way Conor thinks. He's thinking, 'I'll fight Cowboy, I'll beat Cowboy and I'll be ready to fight Khabib at 155 pounds. "Conor is in line next [for Khabib Nurmagomedov] if he beats Cowboy." Fans and fighters questioned how McGregor could be in line for a rematch with Nurmagomedov if he had previously fought at welterweight. White cited the first fight between McGregor and Nurmagomedov, and what the Irish fighter had done for the sport as the reason he would leapfrog other potential opponents. McGregor is also reportedly targeted for a fight with then-BMF champion Jorge Masvidal at welterweight for the BMF title if he could not land the Nurmagomedov fight. The buildup to the fight contrasts his fights with Nurmagomedov and Mayweather, as McGregor is civil and complimentary of his opponent. "For me, this is the right way to go about a fight," McGregor said in an interview with ESPN. During fight week, McGregor continued to be complimentary of his opponent. "As time has gone on, he's become a family man and you guys have seen him compete so many times," McGregor said at the pre-fight news conference. "It's hard not to respect Donald right now, at this stage. He has my respect. Although there will be blood spilled on January 18, it will not be bad blood." Even without the vitriolic rivalry heading into the fight, McGregor put together one of his finest performances and . It's his last win in the Octagon to date. McGregor doesn't target a specific opponent in the post-fight interview, but White is keen to make a fight with the winner of the lightweight title bout between Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson at UFC 249. "After tonight, and with how Khabib won the first time and how famous Khabib has become after that first fight, we're looking at Hagler vs. Hearns, Ali vs. Foreman, Ali vs. Frazier," White said after the fight. "This is a massive fight with global appeal, it's the fight to make, it's the fight that makes sense." Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic would alter any plans the UFC and the fight world may have had. On March 16, 2020, Dana White announced that the UFC will due to the COVID-19 pandemic. McGregor is on lockdown in Ireland and his coach, John Kavanagh, said an April return for the former two-division champion won't happen. McGregor's future is up in the air. And with nothing but idle time on his hands, he's forced to wait until the world sorts itself out. The world, specifically White, sorts out a rematch fight between McGregor and . The two fought previously at UFC 178 in 2014, resulting in a r. Once again, McGregor's tone is uplifting to his opponent. "After that loss many, many years ago he rose up and became a champion," McGregor said at the UFC 257 pre-fight news conference. "He's given so much back and I'm honored to share the Octagon with this man. I know we have this competitive fire and it's still there ... it's going to be a firework-filled bout, but the respect is admirable for this man from me." It was also announced that McGregor had agreed to donate to Poirier's "The Good Fight Foundation" charity. The Irishman also reiterated his desire to compete. "I feel like I'm only starting," McGregor said at the UFC 257 pre-fight news conference. "Everyone says 'Hey Conor, you've done it all. You're so rich. What are you doing here?' Am I not allowed here? I want to be here and perform for the fans. ...All the money, all the belts, that comes and goes. Do you know what lives on? Highlights." But the highlight of this night belonged to Poirier, as he avenged his loss by in the second round. McGregor blamed the inactivity for the loss, as it was only his second fight since 2018. • : . Although the UFC has managed to get back to work putting on events -- albeit without fans -- there is no clarity on when McGregor will return to action. • : on the French island of Corsica on suspicion of sexual assault and indecent exposure for an alleged incident at a bar. He is released without charge two days later. loss to Poirier, critics questioned whether this new, kinder version of McGregor lost the desire to compete at the highest level. People wanted the old McGregor back. "Most people fight to get out of the financial burdens that they are going through," McGregor's striking coach, Owen Roddy, said in the "McGregor Forever" documentary. "Conor has done that. Most normal people would be like, 'I've made all my money and there's no real need to fight again. But I think the difference with Conor is that he wants to prove it more so to himself that he's the baddest man on the planet." For better or worse, the old Conor McGregor was back. On April 2, 2021, a rubber match between McGregor and Poirier on July 10. While the previous meeting saw a cordial build between the two combatants, the leadup to the trilogy bout was anything but. The donation from McGregor to Poirier's nonprofit was never received and led to a verbal jousting that took a turn for the worse heading into the grudge match. McGregor hearkened back to the buildups before the Mayweather and Nurmagomedov fights and hurled insults at Poirier and his wife, even threatening to pull out of the fight. But that anger and trash talk had little effect on Poirier. McGregor found himself on the wrong side of Poirier's ground-and-pound early in an opening round that appeared to be a continuation of their previous fight. Once the fight got back to the feet with seconds left in the round, McGregor took an ill-fated step backward and collapsed to the canvas. His lower left leg twisted under his weight . The fight was stopped and Poirier was awarded the win via TKO due to a doctor stoppage. Considering that Poirier was in control until the end, many believed that McGregor's best years were behind him, as it was the first time he had lost consecutive fights in his lauded career. • : for his fractured tibia and fibula. McGregor takes to social media to announce that he will "build back" after six weeks of crutches. White suggests a fourth fight with Poirier is likely after McGregor recovers. • : with rapper Machine Gun Kelly on the red carpet of the MTV Video Music Awards at Barclays Center. McGregor throws a punch at Kelly but misses. • : Italian musician and TV presenter Francesco Facchinetti him while at a nightclub in Rome. Facchinetti says that McGregor broke his nose and filed charges against the MMA fighter a few days later. • : McGregor says he's fighting for the lightweight title on social media ahead of champion Charles Oliveira's defense against Dustin Poirier at UFC 269 on Dec. 11. • : McGregor's pub, The Black Forge Inn, is targeted with petrol bombs. There were no injuries or property damage. • : McGregor turns his attention to welterweight and issues a challenge to Kamaru Usman for the UFC welterweight title. • : in Dublin for six driving offenses (including two counts of dangerous driving) and has his Bentley seized by police. He's later released on bail. consecutive fights for the first time in his MMA career, the allure and financial upside of facing the Irishman ensures he will have no shortage of opponents if and when he returns to action. However, one particular fighter gets McGregor's attention: Michael Chandler. The former Bellator lightweight champion in September 2020 and quickly made a name for himself by turning in a series of exciting performances in both victory and defeat. His 2021 Fight of the Year performance against Justin Gaethje cements his status as one of the most exciting fighters in the promotion and his brutal of Tony Ferguson at UFC 274 on May 7, 2022, officially put him on McGregor's radar. After calling for fights with Gaethje and then-lightweight champion Oliveira during his post-fight interview, Chandler planted his flag for what he wanted next. "If Dana White and Hunter Campbell have a momentary lapse of judgment and give the title shot to someone else, I got one dude on my mind -- Conor McGregor!" Chandler said. "You have got to come back and fight somebody. I am the most entertaining lightweight on the planet. But I want to up the stakes, Conor. I want you at your biggest, I want you at your baddest and I want you at your best. " Unlike other McGregor callouts, this one gets the attention of the Irishman and he promptly responds on social media, entertaining the idea of a fight between the two. But if there's one thing for sure about Conor McGregor, it's that nothing is for sure about Conor McGregor. He spent the next several months chasing fights with Islam Makhachev, Poirier and Nurmagomedov on social media. On Feb. 4, 2023, the UFC announced that and coach opposite Chandler for "The Ultimate Fighter" season 31 with the intention that McGregor and Chandler will eventually meet in the Octagon. McGregor previously coached TUF in 2015 against Urijah Faber, but no fight between the two commenced. However, there is optimism that McGregor will make his return to the UFC following the taping. "At this stage, it's not really about winning or losing anymore," Byrne said in the "McGregor Forever" documentary. "The fighting is a very small part of it. It's really only something we do for 10 minutes. It's the rest of the months, weeks, years that -- it's not really about fighting. It's about what he can do as a force in the world. He's got a platform to do great or do bad." • : After being ranked as the world's highest-paid athlete , McGregor is absent from the 2022 list. • : McGregor lands the role of the villain Knox in the "Road House" remake. • : Without a fight lined up, McGregor says the trilogy with Nate Diaz "will happen" after Diaz finishes Tony Ferguson in the last fight of Diaz's UFC contract. • : by former friend and training partner Artem Lobov for unpaid proceeds from the sale of Proper Twelve. • : with Michael Chiesa from the bus incident four years prior for an undisclosed amount. • : A second lawsuit is filed from a former friend over the Proper Twelve sale. • : McGregor misses an Ireland court appearance for dangerous driving due to the flu. • : An Irish woman alleges in July 2022 that on his yacht in Ibiza, Spain. She alleges McGregor punched her and threatened to drown her at a party in July on his boat during a birthday party for McGregor. The woman also alleges that she jumped off the yacht to get away from McGregor, breaking her arm in the process. McGregor denies the allegations through his attorney. Days before the claim, by unknown assailants. • : The civil suit for the McGregor yacht assault .Davey to enter portal
Tamannaah joins Salman for Dabangg Reloaded DubaiDJ Lagway threw a touchdown pass, Trey Smack kicked four field goals and Florida's defense dominated in a 33-8 victory over Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl on Friday in Tampa, Fla. Lagway completed 22 of 35 passes for 305 yards with two interceptions and improved to 6-1 as a starter as the Gators (8-5) won their fourth consecutive game. "We've spent three years building this thing," said Florida head coach Billy Napier, who is 19-19 in his three seasons. "I'm thankful for the leadership we got from a great group of seniors. This senior group is special -- not only talented, but elite people and elite leadership. We don't overcome the adversity we faced in the first month of the season if we don't have elite leadership and we had elite leadership from the players." The Gators allowed just 194 yards to the Green Wave (9-5), who lost their third consecutive game. Florida had three interceptions of Ty Thompson, who completed 11 of 29 for 125 yards in his first college start in place of regular-season starter Darian Mensah, who transferred to Duke. It was 9-0 Florida on three field goals after Smack kicked a 24-yarder with 9:11 left in the third quarter. On the fourth play of the ensuing possession, Thompson was intercepted by Alfonzo Allen Jr., giving Florida the ball at its 40. Seven plays later, the Gators finally reached the end zone when Lagway's 7-yard pass to Tony Livingston produced a touchdown and a 16-0 lead at the end of the third. Florida got the ball back at the Tulane 47 when Thompson was stopped for a 2-yard loss on fourth and 2. Early in the fourth quarter, Smack kicked a 30-yard field goal that increased the lead to 19-0. The Green Wave turned the ball over on downs again at their 34, and four plays later, KD Daniels picked up teammate Lagway's fumble and advanced it 27 yards to the end zone for a 26-0 lead. Anthony Rubio rushed 9 yards for the Gators' final touchdown with 1:11 remaining, and Thompson threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Mario Williams and added a two-point pass with 29 seconds left. "This isn't the outcome we wanted at all," Tulane coach Jon Sumrall said. "We didn't help ourselves in a lot of areas. (Florida) is a really talented team. I hate the way it ended. We didn't finish the season or this game very well, obviously." On Tulane's first offensive play, Thompson was intercepted by Trikweze Bridges, leading to Smack's 34-yard field goal and a 3-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. On the second play of the second quarter, the Green Wave's Patrick Durkin was wide right on a 35-yard field-goal attempt, and the Gators' drive led to drove to Smack's 44-yard field goal and a 6-0 halftime lead. --Field Level Media
KIM RICE There will be plenty of palace intrigue at the State House Wednesday with former House Speaker Pro Tem Kim Rice, R-Hudson, deciding to try and deny incumbent Rep. Sherman Packard, R-Londonderry, a third term as leader of the New Hampshire House of Representatives. Voters returned Rice, 58, to a seat in the House last month, this time representing both Hudson and Litchfield, after she voluntarily took a two-year hiatus from the Legislature. From 2014-22, Rice held one of the six seats that voters in Hudson and Pelham elected to the House. Rice had no public comment about her campaign. “I just don’t want this to play out in the press,” she said Monday. Rice did take to social media last week to fire back at some who’ve anonymously been critical of her bold challenge. “If people want to lie about me, have the courage to put your name next to your quote. You’re a coward,” Rice posted Nov. 30 on X. This move likely means the 400 elected to the House will get to choose for speaker between 17-term Rep. Packard, new House Democratic Leader Alexis Simpson of Exeter and Rice. Before that first meeting of the new House, Republicans and Democrats an hour earlier will separately caucus in private. The self-anointed campaign manager for Rice's effort, three-term Rep. Aidan Ankarberg, I-Rochester, has had plenty to say about the effort on social media. Ankarberg claimed on Facebook that he talked Rice into becoming the candidate after Packard won the nomination of his party over Rep. Leonard Turcotte, R-Barrington, who got more than 40% of the vote during a secret ballot GOP caucus last month. “Kim Rice isn't doing anything here. I recruited her, I've done the work of contacting the Democrats and I have been whipping votes amongst the Republican caucus to ensure Sherm Packard and (Majority Leader) Jason Osborne never again hold leadership positions in the New Hampshire House,” Ankarberg said on Facebook. In a statement Monday, Osborne said after growing the GOP majority last month that Packard has more than earned another term as House speaker. “Speaker Packard is the Republican nominee for Speaker. As a proven and tested leader of our diverse membership through many historic challenges, he has earned our commitment to secure his victory on Wednesday,” Osborne said. Rice has made no public invitation to win over House Democrats. Simpson, former House Democratic Leader Matt Wilhelm and the House Democratic staff did not respond to a request for comment Monday. Rice has long been a GOP loyalist, having served as House GOP policy leader and chairman of the House Children and Family Law Committee before Republicans took back control of the House in 2020. In this election cycle, Rice was an early supporter of Republican presidential contender and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and a fixture at many of Haley’s grassroots events. Early on in 2024, Rice got behind former U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte of Nashua to become the next elected governor, replacing Chris Sununu who did not seek a historic, fifth term. In March 2023, Ankarberg resigned a position in the House GOP leadership team citing conflicts with undisclosed members of Packard’s group. Then after winning a third term to his House seat on Nov. 5, Ankarberg became the first House member to change his party affiliation to independent. This leaves the House makeup with 221 Republicans, 178 Democrats and one independent. Rice, 58, will try to duplicate an outside-the-box feat that two Republicans did in their own speakership coup victories, 10 years apart. In 2004, then House Speaker Gene Chandler, R-Bartlett stepped aside and after pleading guilty to a single misdemeanor that he had failed to report $64,000 in donations to an annual “corn roast” fundraiser on his behalf. Chandler endorsed Majority Leader Mike Whalley, R-Alton, who had the majority of Republicans on his side. But former Speaker Doug Scamman, R-Stratham, returned to power with the help of Democrats and a small band of Republicans. In the next election, Republicans lost control of the House with Portsmouth Rep. Terie Norelli becoming the first Democratic speaker chosen in 84 years. In 2014, firebrand conservative Speaker Bill O’Brien, R-Mont Vernon, failed to win a majority vote before the full House. House Speaker Sherman Packard, R-Londonderry, was the choice of House Republicans to remain as its leader for a third term but former House Speaker Pro Tem Kim Rice, R-Hudson, has agreed to put her name forward as an alternative when the full House meets on Wednesday. House Democratic Leader Alexis Simpson of Exeter is also likely to permit her name to come forward as well though Republicans outnumber Democrats, 228-178 with one independent. Hudson Republican Rep. Shawn Jasper quickly stepped up and took the gavel from O’Brien by getting all the Democrats along with a group of dissident Republicans. In 2017, a GOP-divided House failed to pass a state budget, and Jasper lashed out at 32 House Republicans who rejected the leadership’s spending plan. Months later, Sununu nominated Jasper to be state agriculture commissioner, and the House chose Chandler to serve as a caretaker speaker until the next election when Democrats again took back control. Privately, there’s some resentment in Packard’s inner circle that this challenge is coming from Rice, who Packard had kept on as the third-ranking Republican. Rice did have one notable policy break with Packard in 2022. She refused to support a parental rights bill after the Attorney General’s office civil rights division raised concerns it could conflict with the state’s anti-discrimination laws. “There are a lot of great parents out there,” Rice said, declaring she could not reconcile the problems with the bill at such a late juncture. “Unfortunately, there are also some not-so-great parents out there and those are the kids that are the most vulnerable, and that I am deeply concerned about.” A week before this election, Rice said voters were turning to Republican women leaders who remained true to their values, but could forge consensus. “Ultimately, Republican women exemplify the balance between traditional values and modern leadership, unafraid to make difficult decisions that protect the nation’s core principles while advocating for progress within the bounds of conservative ideology,” Rice wrote in a Union Leader op-ed. klandrigan@unionleader.com
My vegan brother refuses to come to Thanksgiving if it's not meat-free
NonePresident-elect Donald Trump is doubling down on the death penalty after President Biden announced he would commute the sentences of 37 out of 40 individuals currently on federal death row. On Tuesday, Trump vowed to direct his Department of Justice (DOJ) to pursue the death penalty. “As soon as I am inaugurated, I will direct the Justice Department to vigorously pursue the death penalty to protect American families and children from violent rapists, murderers, and monsters,” Trump said on Truth Social. “We will be a Nation of Law and Order again!” It comes says after Biden said he would commute the sentences of 37 death row inmates, transforming their punishment to life imprisonment. Among those spared were individuals convicted of murdering police and military officers, those killed during bank robberies and drug deals, or those murdered on federal land. Pope Francis issues urgent message on U.S. death row executions saying he is 'praying' for inmates' Man who killed four people set to be Indiana's first executed inmate in 15 years after court denies stay Trump has been a vocal advocate for expanding capital punishment . Trump has said during his 2024 presidential campaign that he is in favor of seeking the death penalty for lesser offenses including for drug traffickers. His team criticized the president’s decision “These are among the worst killers in the world and this abhorrent decision by Joe Biden is a slap in the face to the victims, their families, and their loved ones,” Trump communications director Steven Cheung said. “President Trump stands for the rule of law, which will return when he is back in the White House after he was elected with a massive mandate from the American people,” Cheung added. Following Biden's significant action, only three federal inmates still face execution . These include Dylann Roof, a racist church killer who massacred nine Black congregants in South Carolina in 2015; Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the Boston Marathon bomber; and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life Synagogue in 2018. All three will still face lethal injection. White supremacist Dylann Roof was convicted in 2015 for a racially motivated attack that killed nine black worshippers in a South Carolina church. DAILY NEWSLETTER: Sign up here to get the latest news and updates from the Mirror US straight to your inbox with our FREE newsletter. Roof was found guilty of federal hate crimes and now faces the death sentence. The 22-year-old was also convicted of obstructing the exercise of religion for those he shot after joining them in a Bible study, reports the Mirror . In another dreadful episode, Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was handed the death sentence for orchestrating a terrorist assault that tragically took three lives and wounded 264 bystanders on April 15, 2013. Meanwhile, Robert Bowers’s conviction followed his hate-driven rampage at the Tree of Life Synagogue, where in October 2018, he yelled "all Jews must die! " before unloading his weapon on worshippers gathered for a baby naming ceremony on the Sabbath in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill. His anti-Semitic rants had polluted online spaces before he took the lives of 11 people. President Biden, targeting violence and advocating a just legal system, said: "I've dedicated my career to reducing violent crime and ensuring a fair and effective justice system." "Today, I am commuting the sentences of 37 of the 40 individuals on federal death row to life sentences without the possibility of parole. These commutations are consistent with the moratorium my administration has imposed on federal executions, in cases other than terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder," he said in his announcement.
Cozy winter fare: Make a French-style cassoulet at home