Unlike the seamless Thanksgiving miracles depicted on Hallmark TV programs, real life often involves frantic last-minute grocery runs, burnt turkeys and the juggling act of family tensions simmering just beneath the surface. But people can take steps now to limit the holiday stress, says University of Michigan psychology professor Stephanie Preston. "Give yourself and others grace," she said. "It's fine to laugh when things go awry. We've all seen the perfect Hallmark family gathering, but those are fictional. Real life is complicated and messy. We're all human and need to savor the moment." One way to keep the stress at bay is to set an intention for the day or week, said Preston, who admits that she tries to keep her expectations reasonable while hosting a Thanksgiving dinner for family. To keep things relaxed, each person contributes a dish (even the kids), the dress code is casual, the start time is flexible, and we end with a short walk and some games. "What do you most want to get out of the holiday? Most people want to be present and thankful while spending time with loved ones more than they want to craft the perfectly browned turkey or decorative tablescape," Preston said. Can you provide communication strategies that can be effective in dealing with difficult conversations or conflicts among family members? Family members who don't agree or get along—particularly in divisive political time—can be a major source of stress for everyone. In advance, consider what issues might arise and how you will deal with them. Aim to focus on sharing food and thanks above resolving long-held differences. Some families cannot talk about politics without a fight, so know your limits. Even if it seems satisfying to get off that snide remark, it's better to have a few phrases ready that can quickly deflect negativity while honoring your feelings. Have an ally at the event or someone you can text or call when your patience wears thin. Just knowing someone understands how you feel and has your back will extend your patience. Remember, we cannot control other people or how they view the world—and the Thanksgiving table might not be the place to try even if we could. But we can control our contribution to the holiday spirit How important is it to set boundaries during holiday gatherings, and what are some polite ways to establish them? Boundaries are essential for maintaining your sanity but can increase conflict if not done right. Consider any boundaries you need and alert people in advance so they know what to expect, e.g., you'll take a long walk each day or go to bed early. As long as you genuinely make time for the essentials (find out when dinner is before setting your schedule), people usually don't mind. No need to explain yourself. If pressed, just keep it simple with something like, "I just find it helps me feel like myself." For people who feel lonely or isolated during the holidays, what can they do to feel more connected? The important thing about a holiday is to rest, fill your soul and connect with people you care about. Not everyone has the picture-perfect family that gathers around a huge table though. People are often geographically displaced from family or do not have much family to speak of. Others use isolation as a way to deal with anxiety or stress and need to counter this instinct in order to enjoy the festivities. Remember that it really doesn't matter who you spend time with or how you connect. Friendsgivings are popular alternatives. If you are not invited to a meal, consider asking someone else who is isolated to join you. Even if you eat takeout alone on a holiday, try to plan another way to connect, like volunteering, attending a service or public event, going to a movie, or calling a friend. Research shows that loneliness damages our physical and mental health. It feels good to help and connect with people—even strangers. Push yourself a little bit to let some of that magic of human connection in, however you can. How can individuals balance the desire to spend time with family and friends with the need to have some personal downtime? It all comes down to balance, and each person is different. The key is to give enough space in your heart, mind and calendar to savor the togetherness of a holiday, without making yourself crazy or exhausted. Knowing your own body and mind, how much sleep, exercise or downtime do you need? It's not rude to step away or miss some things, as long as you let people know, express your appreciation, and are present when you are together. It's easier to set a plan early than to wiggle out of something in the moment. How can people avoid unhealthy coping mechanisms? Unhealthy coping mechanisms are trouble even in good times, but can spiral during holidays. People are pushed out of their comfort zones, set high expectations, and interact with many more people. Drinking excessively is a common one, as people rely on the social lubricant, give themselves something to do during uncertain moments and recover from stress. Avoiding people is another coping strategy. Most coping mechanisms are fine in moderation and may provide some benefits. But when your desire to drink, take drugs, shop, eat or avoid people undermines your own goal of enjoying the holiday , it's time to adjust. Find a friend or relative who gets your issue and let them help you navigate your choices. If you need, call a crisis hotline to tell someone how you feel or ask for help.
After Trump's Project 2025 denials, he is tapping its authors and influencers for key roles
Haiti gang attack leaves 2 dead, several wounded
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NoneDillon Gabriel's run at Oregon harkens back to the days of another Hawaii-born QB, Marcus Mariota
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The janitors who clean Vancouver's International Airport have ratified a new collective agreement. The strike at the airport ended on one of the busiest travel days of the year. Strike action was set to escalate today, however SEIU Local 2 suspended those actions and was able to quickly organize a ratification vote for the 233 janitors working for Alpine Building Maintenance (Alpine). The workers had set out to win $25 per hour, an overnight shift premium and retirement security. "We're happy because it won't be long before we reach the $25 we were looking for and the premiums will help many of us as well," said Goutam Luthra, one of the cleaners. "No one ever wants to go on strike, but sometimes you just have to make a stand." Every janitor will be at $25 per hour or higher in 2025. There will be a raise of $1.29 in April bringing pay to $24.55 per hour. A second wage hike in October will bring wages to $25. There will be more raises in 2026. In addition to the raises, there is also premium pay for lead hands and hours worked overnight. The cleaning contractor has also committed to providing the living wage over the course of the two-year agreement. Their medical benefits package remains intact. While there is relief that the strike is over, the big demand the janitors didn't win was retirement security. It will be made a priority in the next round of bargaining and workers say they look forward to coming back to the table in two years when they will continue the fight for that and other improvements. "We didn't win everything we wanted, but we think it's a good deal and this experience brought us closer together," said Varinder Singh, one of the overnight workers. "We know our job here is not done. Our grandparents shouldn't have to keep on working well into their senior years just because they can't afford to retire. We need to do better, and we will fight for that next time." Back to Work The parties agreed to a back-to-work protocol. Alpine will recall all striking employees to their first regularly scheduled shift following today's the ratification vote, with no loss of seniority and/or service by virtue of their absence during the strike. Some workers may be back as early as this afternoon. The employer agreed that there will be no discipline, termination of employment, discrimination, intimidation, interference, restraint, coercion, recrimination or reprisal action of any kind whatsoever against union members for their participation in the strike and strike related activities. The Union agreed to publicly rescind any notification of job actions and any escalating activities. Background The janitors' job action began last Thursday evening. The workers and their supporters had been gathering at YVR's designated "Authorized Demonstration Area," Chester Johnson Park, since Friday morning. That was set change on Christmas Eve, as the cleaners planned to exercise their right to set up lawful picket lines at undisclosed areas of the airport and ask airport workers who have the legal right to honour picket lines to not cross. The janitors' contract expired at the end of September. They clean nearly the entire airport including the terminals, bathrooms, hallways, exterior, and airport operations facilities on both sides of security checkpoints. For more information visit www.YVRjanitorStrike.ca SEIU Local 2 represents 20,000 workers in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. We are proud members of the largest, fastest growing, and most dynamic union in North America. Media Contact: Tina Oh (902) 955-9966 toh@seiulocal2.ca © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Kings break through in victory over the Kraken
T o look for the root of Britain’s worklessness crisis is to realise that the problem is there are so many places you could start. There is no doubt that Covid delivered a shock that pushed many people out of work into sickness. Yet while every country saw a spike in worklessness numbers before the pandemic — some much bigger than Britain’s — the UK is the only major economy where employment rates did not rise again. While most countries saw a return to the pre-pandemic trend, Britain still had about 800,000 more people out of work. To ask why this is so leads further back. For at least a decade the benefit system has created ever stronger incentives to be signed off sick, as repeated crackdowns on jobseekers means people are now thousands of pounds a year better off if they are unwell. Perhaps just as important, the long-term sick are also largely left alone by a benefits monitoring system that is widely feared and distrusted.Smith's career-high 205 yards rushing carries San Diego past Morehead State 37-14
Scott Turner, the choice to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development , is a former NFL player who had a role in President-elect Donald Trump first administration. Turner, 52, who was named executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council in 2019, is the first Black person selected to be a member of the Republican’s new cabinet. A native of the Dallas suburb, Richardson, Turner graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He was a defensive back and spent nine seasons in the NFL beginning in 1995, playing for the San Diego Chargers, the former Washington Redskins and Denver Broncos. Turner should be familiar to San Diego County’s rural voters as a former aide to a long-time congressman. During off-seasons, he worked as an intern for then-Rep. Duncan L. Hunter, whose district seat was Alpine. After Turner retired in 2004, he worked full time in the office. In 2006, Turner ran unsuccessfully as a Republican in the crowded special election for California’s 50th Congressional District , finishing ninth in the race to replace disgraced Rep. Randy Cunningham. Turner eventually enjoyed political success in his home state, where he joined the Texas House in 2013 as part of a crop of tea party-supported lawmakers. He tried unsuccessfully to become speaker before he finished his second term in 2016. He did not seek a third term. Turner worked for a software company in a position called “chief inspiration officer” and said he acted as a professional mentor and pastor and counselor for employees and the executive team. He also has been a motivational speaker. He and his wife, Robin Turner, founded a nonprofit promoting initiatives to improve childhood literacy. His church, Prestonwood Baptist Church in Texas, lists him as an associate pastor. He is also chair of the center for education opportunity at the America First Policy Institute , a think tank set up by former Trump administration staffers to lay the groundwork if he won a second term. We have launched our year-end campaign. Our goal: Raise $50,000 by Dec. 31. Help us get there. Times of San Diego is devoted to producing timely, comprehensive news about San Diego County. Your donation helps keep our work free-to-read, funds reporters who cover local issues and allows us to write stories that hold public officials accountable. Join the growing list of donors investing in our community's long-term future. In April 2019, Trump introduced Turner as the head of the new Opportunity and Revitalization Council. Trump credited Turner with “helping to lead an unprecedented effort that transformed our country’s most distressed communities.” The mission of the council was to coordinate with various federal agencies to attract investment to so-called “Opportunity Zones,” economically depressed areas eligible for federal tax incentives. HUD is responsible for addressing the nation’s housing needs. The agency oversees fair housing laws and housing for the poorest Americans, sheltering more than 4.3 million low-income families through public housing, rental subsidy and voucher programs. The agency, with a budget of tens of billions of dollars, runs a multitude of programs that do everything from reducing homelessness to promoting homeownership. It also funds the construction of affordable housing and provides vouchers that assist low-income families in paying for private housing. During the campaign, Trump focused mostly on the prices of housing, not public housing. He railed against high costs and said he could make housing more affordable by cracking down on illegal immigration and reducing inflation. He also said he would work to reduce regulations on home construction and make some federal land available for residential construction. Get Our Free Daily Email Newsletter Get the latest local and California news from Times of San Diego delivered to your inbox at 8 a.m. daily. Sign up for our free email newsletter and be fully informed of the most important developments.
Viewers of The Great British Bake Off were left in shock as Georgie Grasso was declared the champion of 2024 beating the series favourite. Following a suspense-filled series hosted by Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding, the final three contestants standing were Georgie, 34, Christiaan de Vries, 34, and Dylan Bachelet, aged 20. The finalists' first task in the tent involved crafting scones. They were later asked to impress the judges with an afternoon tea spread. Their final challenge required them to construct an intricate hanging celebration cake. As the tension escalated, Alison declared: "This is the bake between winning or losing," reports Wales Online . With the pressure intensifying, Christian, Georgie, and Dylan started showing signs of anxiety under the scrutinising gaze of judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, as well as hosts Alison and Noel. The finalists took on their last challenge on The Great British Bake Off (Image: Channel 4) Read More Related Articles The Great British Bake Off finale: What time is it on, who are the finalists, and everything else you need to know Read More Related Articles Paul Hollywood's 'easiest dessert to impress guests' looks like a £40 cake but costs £4 Fan favourite Dylan, who had been performing well throughout the competition, encountered difficulties with his genoise sponge's consistency in the final round. This led viewers to speculate that Christian, who remained composed under pressure, might steal the victory from him. Meanwhile, Georgie also faced her own set of challenges during her final showstopper, as she seemed to lose track of what she was doing. Retreating to the back of the tent, Georgie voiced her confusion aloud: "What am I doing here? What did I come over here for?" Despite initial uncertainty, Georgie clinched the title after conquering three nail-biting challenges. Pru heaped praise on Georgie's show-stopping creation, declaring the cake "absolutely delicious," with both Pru and Paul in agreement over the cakes remarkable presentation. Nevertheless, some fans were puzzled by the outcome and took to social media platform X to voice their opinions. One perplexed viewer questioned: "How on earth has Georgie won?" Georgie's show-stopper impressed the judges Another said: "Even with my Welsh bias, I think Christiaan should've won that. My money was on Dylan at the start, but unfortunately, he chose to morph into the wonderful Lucy Beaumont for the final. Congratulations to Georgie though." Meanwhile, another commented: "I'm happy for Georgie BUT Dylan is probably the best contestant this show has ever had. Such a weird result." Georgie was crowned the winner of the show (Image: Channel 4) However, several supporters rejoiced over Georgie's triumph. One fan praised her victory: "Bravo Georgie, well done!" and another endorsed the win: "Go Georgie... well deserved Welsh winner." Georgie, who is a children's nurse from Carmarthenshire, admitted that her final showstopper was "the most challenging bake I've ever done". Overcome with emotion, she revealed: "When I saw the brief, I thought, game over. The Bake Off star didn't think she could scoop the win (Image: Channel 4) "It took a lot of thought and planning to be able to make it work. I practised about three times. I really wanted the judges to get a 'true' reflection of me in the bake, with my colours and flavours. The most stressful element was by far the construction along with the time." As a mother of three, she also spoke candidly about the immense personal cost of staying in the competition. She revealed: "I've had to put the family on the back burner which has been really hard. I've had to tell the kids 'no' a lot." The Great British Bake Off is available to watch on Channel4.com.has recently noted an increase in vehicle thefts and attempted thefts surrounding Ford F350 Super Duty pickup trucks. Typically, first generation (1999-2007) and second generation (2008-2010) Super Duty trucks are specifically targeted by auto theft criminals. Cranbrook RCMP is asking anyone who owns one of these trucks to review any available surveillance footage that may indicate their vehicle being targeted. Should you observe any suspects on camera around your vehicle, please contact Cranbrook RCMP, in attempts to identify the suspects responsible for these thefts. Thank you in advance, and please be safe while winter driving. : Stock shot of a 2010 F350 Super Duty pickup.
Trump nominees work to win over senators on Capitol Hill
For the first time in 15 years, Hanukkah and Christmas coincide in 2024: The Jewish holiday begins with the first candle lighting at sundown on Christmas Day. These holidays are an important affirmation of our religious heritage. America was established on a biblical worldview, and it can’t survive without it. President Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “Our form of government makes no sense unless it is founded in a deeply felt religious faith, and I don’t care what it is.” Ike was not saying that religious differences are unimportant, but that faith itself is what matters. George Washington — another soldier turned statesman — cautioned in his Farewell Address that “religion and morality are indispensable supports” of political prosperity. His successor, John Adams, said: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” President Ronald Reagan warned, “If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.” Today, we are a nation adrift in a sea of doubt. According to a March Gallup survey, only 30% of Americans now attend religious services regularly, while 56% seldom or never do so. Those who don’t identify with any religion (the “nones”) rose from 13% in 2010 to 21% today. Is it so surprising then that in an Emerson College poll, 41% of adults under 30 said the cold-blooded killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was “acceptable”? This is what comes from not teaching religion to the young but instead allowing them to absorb the values of the secular culture. All of our most intractable problems — including crime, drug abuse and depression — are related to a weakening of faith. In its 12-step program, Alcoholics Anonymous explains: “Accepting a higher power helps you to see life from a different perspective and creates a sense of accountability.” Religious people are happier, healthier and more involved with their family and community. The left, which has an instinctive aversion to religion — Karl Marx called it the “opium of the masses”— keeps casting about for a substitute. The French Revolution created a Cult of Reason to replace Christianity and set up an altar to it in Notre Dame Cathedral. In 2024, the Democratic Party tried to turn democracy (a word found nowhere in America’s founding documents) into a religion. In his 2022 speech at Independence Hall , President Biden indicted his predecessor as a threat to democracy. Mr. Biden used Independence Hall as a prop without any understanding of its real significance. The Declaration of Independence, which was signed there, speaks of unalienable rights endowed by the Creator. If such a document were produced today, progressives would be screaming that the authors had violated the mythical wall separating church and state. Democrats saw the Jan. 6 riot at the US Capitol not as trespass and vandalism but as heresy — the pagans committing acts of sacrilege in the temple of democracy. The failure of their attempts to deify democracy may be seen in the results of the 2024 election: President-elect Donald Trump became the first Republican in 20 years to receive a majority of the popular vote . As supreme allied commander in Europe during World War II, Eisenhower was as responsible as anyone for our victory. When our forces began liberating the death camps, the future president was so moved by the horrors uncovered that he was determined to document them. On April 12, 1945, Eisenhower visited Dachau in the company of Gens. George Patton and Omar Bradley. He wrote to Winston Churchill that the English language didn’t have words to describe what he saw. What he saw was a monument to depravity — to a government based on ideology, in this case, the master race theory — the only alternative to one based on religious values. Modernity has witnessed so many horrific examples of state power driven by ideology — the Reign of Terror, communism, the Holocaust, Islamism (a cult masquerading as a religion) and the soft totalitarianism of diversity, equity and inclusion. During the Revolutionary War, Valley Forge was the low point of the American cause. A famous painting by a contemporary artist shows Washington kneeling in the snow and praying outside the Continental Army’s encampment. Such faith has sustained us in every war and national crisis. The fight to maintain our religious heritage is far more important than tariffs or tax cuts. Adapted from The Washington Times .