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Cameron Haffner helps Evansville end five-game skid with 57-40 victory over Missouri StateLANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Jimmy Carter was honored with a moment of silence before the Atlanta Falcons’ game at the Washington Commanders on Sunday night, hours after the 39th president of the United States died at the age of 100 in Plains, Georgia. Beyond being a Georgia native who led the country from the White House less than 8 miles (12 kilometers) away during his time in office from 1977-81, Carter was the first president to host the NFL's Super Bowl champions there when he welcomed the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1980. Falcons owner Arthur Blank in a statement released by the team before kickoff said he was deeply saddened by the loss of his dear friend and mentor, calling Carter “a great American, a proud Georgian and an inspirational global humanitarian.” “He lived his life with great civic responsibility and took it upon himself to be the change he wished to see amongst other,” Blank said, recalling meeting Carter at The Home Depot. “President Carter’s kind and uniting spirit touched so many lives. He was a man of deep faith, and did everything with principal and grace, doing things the right way for the right reasons." AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Vikings right guard Dalton Risner says he’ll continue to get better at new positionGanghwa, South Korea: For seven years, Kim Seongmin has been facing a cancer that has spread to his lungs, brain and liver. Doctors recently gave him only months to live. He can’t sleep at night without painkillers. Still, Kim broadcasts into North Korea twice a day, bringing its people news and information they are cut off from because of strict censorship laws. “North Korea is keeping its people like frogs trapped in a deep well,” said Kim, 62, during an interview at his rural home on this island west of Seoul, where he records and edits shows for Free North Korea Radio. “We broadcast to help them realise that there is something wrong with their political system.” Kim Seongmin, president of Free North Korea Radio, edits content for the station at his home on Ganghwa Island, west of Seoul, South Korea. Credit: Chang W. Lee/The New York Times For two decades, North Korean defectors living in South Korea have been infiltrating the North with outside news and entertainment, through balloons floated across the border or broadcasts such as those from Kim’s radio station. But Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, has grown increasingly sensitive to “anti-socialist and non-socialist” influences that could threaten his totalitarian grip on power, and he is cracking down on such efforts like never before. Authorities are searching homes and pedestrians, meting out harsh punishments, including public executions, to people who consume news and TV dramas from South Korea, or even if they sing, speak, dress and text-message like South Koreans, according to North Korean documents and a South Korean government report. Bottles filled with rice and packages, each containing propaganda posters, a US dollar bill and a Bible, which Kim Seongmin’s group plans to send to North Korea. Credit: Chang W. Lee/The New York Times North Korea has been flexing its military muscle beyond the Korean Peninsula by sending troops and weapons to Russia to support its war against Ukraine. But at home, Kim Jong-un is reinforcing the country’s defences against foreign influences. He has built more walls along North Korea’s border with China, giving soldiers there a shoot-to-kill order to stop an outflow of refugees and an influx of people smuggling outside goods and information. He has destroyed his country’s few roads and railways linking to South Korea, after declaring that the North was no longer interested in reunification with the South. And he has introduced a slate of draconian new censorship laws. “We sense the fears of the Kim Jong-un regime,” Admiral Kim Myung-soo, the chair of South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, told parliament recently. This year, the North called foreign content being sent across from the South “filth” and retaliated by sending balloons filled with rubbish and broadcasting eerie noises across the border. Defectors prepare to release balloons carrying leaflets and a banner denouncing Kim Jong-un in 2016. Such continued campaigns have enraged the Kim regime. Credit: AP Kim, the founder of Free North Korea Radio, was a captain and propaganda writer at a North Korean artillery unit when he fled to China in 1995. He wanted to defect to South Korea but was arrested at a Chinese port. He said he was on his way to Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital, for certain execution when he jumped through the window of a train toilet booth while an armed guard waited outside. He fled back to China and arrived in Seoul in 1999. He launched Free North Korea Radio in 2004. “He was a pioneer, the first North Korean defector to start a radio broadcast into the North,” said Lee Min-bok, a fellow defector who began sending leaflet-filled balloons to the North around the time Kim started his radio broadcasts. “He spoke more closely to the North Korean heart, because he broadcast in North Korean dialects.” During recent broadcasts, Kim’s station reported international criticism of the North’s troop dispatch to Russia and invited North Korean female veterans to testify to any sexual violence they had endured in the North’s Korean People’s Army. It carried letters from Japanese people whose family members had been kidnapped to the North. North Korean defectors living in the South reported that there was hot water in every South Korean home while ordinary North Koreans had to take cold showers, even in the winter. Lee Si-young, director of Free North Korea Radio, at the recording studio where its content is recorded daily in Seoul, South Korea. Credit: Chang W. Lee/The New York Times Kim often gets information from informers inside the North who use mobile phones with prepaid Chinese SIM cards. With those phones, they can pick up Chinese signals from near the border and exchange calls, text messages and photos with Kim. With their help, he reported the execution of Jang Song-thaek, Kim Jong-un’s uncle, in 2013, days before the North’s state media announced it. Through his sources, Kim also monitored young North Koreans who grew up in the wake of a famine in the 1990s and have depended more on unofficial markets than on state rations to feed themselves. They trust their government less than the generations before them did and have an insatiable appetite for foreign entertainment and news, which they obtained through CDs, DVDs and computer memory sticks smuggled from China, as well as through balloons carrying USB drives and broadcasts such as Kim’s. Kim can’t tell how many North Koreans listen to his shortwave broadcasts, which are financed by US and South Korean human rights and religious groups. In the North, all radio and TV sets have their channels fixed to receive only government broadcasts, although defectors say people often manipulate their devices to receive South Korean broadcasts. Free North Korea Radio and other sources of outside news – such as Radio Free Asia, funded by the US Congress, and North Korea Reform Radio, which is run by another group of defectors – seek to chip away at the information blackout. The office of Free North Korea Radio in Seoul, South Korea. Credit: Chang W. Lee/The New York Times Efforts to exert influence from abroad have increasingly drawn Kim Jong-un’s ire as he seeks to control the country’s younger generations, according to internal North Korean government documents Kim received from his informers. “Anti-socialist and non-socialist practices” have become a malicious tumour that “penetrated deep into social life in general,” putting North Korea’s socialist system at a crossroads, said one of the North Korean documents that Kim shared with The New York Times . In an unnamed provincial city, 9000 high school students surrendered themselves for watching “impure” videos after authorities promised not to punish them. Under laws introduced recently by Kim Jong-un, those who watch, possess or distribute South Korean content face a punishment of five to 10 years in labour camps, according to the South’s National Intelligence Service. Even those who “speak, write or sing” in a South Korean style or publish texts using South Korean fonts face up to two years of hard labour. Loading Those who distribute them widely face the death penalty. A 22-year-old farmworker was killed by firing squad in 2022 for possessing 70 songs and three movies from South Korea and sharing them with seven other people, according to a human rights report from South Korea’s Unification Ministry. Last year, North Korea called for “random inspections” of electronic devices to ferret out those who consume South Korean videos and broadcasts. The crackdown has created a chilling effect, leading to an estimated 70 per cent drop in outside information reaching North Koreans, said Kang Shin-sam, head of the Seoul-based human rights group Unification Academy, during a recent forum. But some North Koreans find new ways to circumvent censorship, other analysts say. Kim Seongmin worked at a studio in Seoul with a staff of five other North Korean defectors until he moved months ago to his island house. Two police officers are assigned to guard him against possible terrorist attacks from North Korea. Loading Over the years, he has received numerous threats from South Koreans who accused him of raising tensions with the North, as well as anonymous packages that contained dead mice or dolls smeared with red paint, and with knives stuck in their chest. A North Korean secret police officer he had known in the North once called him from China, threatening to harm his sisters in the North, Kim said. But he persisted. In July, the South Korean government awarded him a citizen’s medal for his work. Lee Si-young, another defector who joined the station’s staff eight years ago, said she listened to Free North Korea Radio while in the North. “For North Koreans, our radio signals are like a lighthouse in the darkness, bringing hope that a better day will come,” she said. Kim said he would die knowing that the work he started would be continued by younger defectors he trained. “I will die a happy man,” he said. This article originally appeared in The New York Times . Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Dictators North Korea South Korea Kim Jong-un For subscribers Most Viewed in World Loading
WASHINGTON, Nov. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ASP Isotopes Inc. NASDAQ: ASPI ("ASP Isotopes” or the "Company”), an advanced materials company dedicated to the development of technology and processes for the production of isotopes for use in multiple industries, today issued the following statement in response to a short seller report published on November 26, 2024 by Fuzzy Panda Research ("Fuzzy Panda”). Fuzzy Panda is a self-proclaimed short seller who stands to realize significant gains if the price of ASP Isotopes's stock declines. Based upon ASP Isotopes's and its legal counsel's preliminary review and evaluation of the report, the Company believes the report includes speculative conjecture and claims that are inaccurate or filled with innuendo in an attempt to mislead investors about ASP Isotopes's technology, leadership and future growth. Investors are encouraged to review the Company's public filings made with the SEC. ASP Isotopes is in the process of commissioning three isotope enrichment facilities in South Africa and has hosted commercial partners and investors at these facilities. The first facility is scheduled to enrich Carbon-14 for use in healthcare and agrochemicals. The second facility is scheduled to enrich Silicon-28, which the Company believes will enable faster, more efficient semiconductors for use in artificial intelligence and quantum computing. The third facility is scheduled to enrich Ytterbium-176, a critically important raw material used in the production of radio-oncology therapies. ASP Isotopes values transparency and open communication. Canaccord Genuity's analyst, George Gianarikas, will host a fire side chat with ASP Isotopes's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Paul Mann, at 10am EST on November 27, 2024. Please contact your Canaccord Genuity sales representative for dial in details. About ASP Isotopes Inc. ASP Isotopes Inc. is a development stage advanced materials company dedicated to the development of technology and processes to produce isotopes for use in multiple industries. The Company employs proprietary technology, the Aerodynamic Separation Process ("ASP technology”). The Company's initial focus is on producing and commercializing highly enriched isotopes for the healthcare and technology industries. The Company also plans to enrich isotopes for the nuclear energy sector using Quantum Enrichment technology that the Company is developing. The Company has isotope enrichment facilities in Pretoria, South Africa, dedicated to the enrichment of isotopes of elements with a low atomic mass (light isotopes). There is a growing demand for isotopes such as Silicon-28 for enabling quantum computing; Molybdenum-100, Molybdenum-98, Zinc-68, Ytterbium-176, and Nickel-64 for new, emerging healthcare applications, as well as Chlorine-37, Lithium-6, Lithium-7 and Uranium-235 for green energy applications. The ASP Technology (Aerodynamic Separation Process) is ideal for enriching low and heavy atomic mass molecules. For more information, please visit www.aspisotopes.com . Forward Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, without limitation, statements relating to the future of the Company's enrichment technologies, the market demand for enriched isotopes, and the commencement of supply of enriched isotopes to customers. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy, and other future conditions. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "believes,” "plans,” "anticipates,” "expects,” "estimates,” "projects,” "will,” "may,” "might,” and words of a similar nature. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others but are not limited to, statements we make regarding expected operating results, such as future revenues and prospects from the potential commercialization of isotopes, future performance under contracts, and our strategies for product development, engaging with potential customers, market position, and financial results. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks, and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict, many of which are outside our control. Our actual results, financial condition, and events may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements based upon a number of factors. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance or developments. You are strongly cautioned that reliance on any forward-looking statements involves known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. There are many important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements, including the outcomes of various strategies and projects undertaken by the Company; the potential impact of laws or government regulations or policies in South Africa, the United Kingdom or elsewhere; our reliance on the efforts of third parties; our ability to complete the construction and commissioning of our enrichment plants or to commercialize isotopes using the ASP technology or the Quantum Enrichment Process; our ability to obtain regulatory approvals for the production and distribution of isotopes; the financial terms of any current and future commercial arrangements; our ability to complete certain transactions and realize anticipated benefits from acquisitions; contracts, dependence on our Intellectual Property (IP) rights, certain IP rights of third parties; and the competitive nature of our industry. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. This press release includes market and industry data and forecasts that we obtained from internal research, publicly available information and industry publications and surveys. Industry publications and surveys generally state that the information contained therein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. Unless otherwise noted, statements as to our potential market position relative to other companies are approximated and based on third-party data and internal analysis and estimates as of the date of this press release. We have not independently verified this information, and it could prove inaccurate. Industry and market data could be wrong because of the method by which sources obtained their data and because information cannot always be verified with certainty due to the limits on the availability and reliability of raw data, the voluntary nature of the data-gathering process and other limitations and uncertainties. In addition, we do not know all of the assumptions regarding general economic conditions or growth that were used in preparing the information and forecasts from sources cited herein. No information in this press release should be interpreted as an indication of future success, revenues, results of operation, or stock price. All forward-looking statements herein are qualified by reference to the cautionary statements set forth herein and should not be relied upon. Contacts Jason Assad- Investor relations Email: [email protected] Telephone: 561-709-3043Daily Progress kicks off 130th year of Santa Fund
NoneSwiss National Bank reduced its stake in Commerce Bancshares, Inc. ( NASDAQ:CBSH – Free Report ) by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 240,323 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 2,400 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank’s holdings in Commerce Bancshares were worth $14,275,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Commerce Bancshares by 2.1% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 12,631,645 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $672,004,000 after buying an additional 259,127 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new stake in shares of Commerce Bancshares in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,226,000. Marshall Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Commerce Bancshares in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,006,000. Tidal Investments LLC raised its position in Commerce Bancshares by 181.3% during the first quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 17,905 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $953,000 after purchasing an additional 11,540 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers raised its position in Commerce Bancshares by 138.3% during the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 31,872 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,696,000 after purchasing an additional 18,496 shares in the last quarter. 70.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Commerce Bancshares Stock Performance Shares of NASDAQ:CBSH opened at $73.70 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $63.52 and a 200-day moving average of $60.30. The company has a market capitalization of $9.45 billion, a PE ratio of 19.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.87 and a beta of 0.73. Commerce Bancshares, Inc. has a 52-week low of $47.19 and a 52-week high of $73.82. Commerce Bancshares Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 17th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 3rd will be issued a $0.27 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 3rd. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.47%. Commerce Bancshares’s payout ratio is 28.13%. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research analysts have commented on CBSH shares. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Commerce Bancshares from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, October 18th. Morgan Stanley downgraded shares of Commerce Bancshares from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $66.00 to $64.00 in a research report on Monday, September 30th. Finally, Piper Sandler set a $68.50 price objective on shares of Commerce Bancshares and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, October 18th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $61.79. Get Our Latest Stock Report on CBSH Insider Activity at Commerce Bancshares In related news, Chairman David W. Kemper sold 30,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $61.78, for a total value of $1,853,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now directly owns 1,151,994 shares in the company, valued at $71,170,189.32. This represents a 2.54 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink . Also, SVP Patricia R. Kellerhals sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.23, for a total value of $124,460.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 23,381 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,454,999.63. The trade was a 7.88 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders sold 35,109 shares of company stock worth $2,191,123 over the last three months. Company insiders own 3.20% of the company’s stock. Commerce Bancshares Profile ( Free Report ) Commerce Bancshares, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Commerce Bank that provides retail, mortgage banking, corporate, investment, trust, and asset management products and services to individuals and businesses in the United States. It operates through three segments: Consumer, Commercial, and Wealth. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CBSH? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Commerce Bancshares, Inc. ( NASDAQ:CBSH – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Commerce Bancshares Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Commerce Bancshares and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
SCHEID FAMILY WINES REPORTS SECOND QUARTER FISCAL 2025 RESULTS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Matt Gaetz withdrew Thursday as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general amid continued fallout over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation's chief federal law enforcement officer. The announcement caps a turbulent eight-day period in which Trump sought to capitalize on his decisive election win to force Senate Republicans to accept provocative selections like Gaetz, who had been investigated by the Justice Department before being tapped last week to lead it. The decision could heighten scrutiny on other controversial Trump nominees, including Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth , who faces sexual assault allegations that he denies. “While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz, a Florida Republican who one day earlier met with senators in an effort to win their support, said in a statement. “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1," he added. Trump, in a social media post, said: “I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General. He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect. Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!” He did not immediately announce a new selection. Last week, he named personal lawyers Todd Blanche, Emil Bove and D. John Sauer to senior roles in the department. Another possible contender, Matt Whitaker, was announced Wednesday as the U.S. ambassador to NATO. The withdrawal, just a week after the pick was announced, averts what was shaping up to be a pitched confirmation fight that would have tested how far Senate Republicans were willing to go to support Trump’s Cabinet picks. The selection of the fierce Trump ally over well-regarded veteran lawyers whose names had circulated as possible contenders stirred concern for the Justice Department's independence at a time when Trump has openly threatened to seek retribution against political adversaries. It underscored the premium Trump places on personal loyalty and reflected the president-elect's desire to have a disruptor lead a Justice Department that for years investigated and ultimately indicted him. In the Senate, deeply skeptical lawmakers sought more information about Justice Department and congressional investigations into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls, which Gaetz has denied. Meanwhile, Justice Department lawyers were taken aback by the pick of a partisan lawmaker with limited legal experience who has echoed Trump's claims of a weaponized criminal justice system. As Gaetz sought to lock down Senate support, concern over the sex trafficking allegations showed no signs of abating. In recent days, an attorney for two women said his clients told House Ethics Committee investigators that Gaetz paid them for sex on multiple occasions beginning in 2017, when Gaetz was a Florida congressman. One of the women testified she saw Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old at a party in Florida in 2017, according to the attorney, Joel Leppard. Leppard has said that his client testified she didn’t think Gaetz knew the girl was underage, stopped their relationship when he found out and did not resume it until after she turned 18. The age of consent in Florida is 18. "They’re grateful for the opportunity to move forward with their lives,” Leppard said Thursday of his clients. “They’re hoping that this brings final closure for all the parties involved.” Gaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. The Justice Department’s investigation ended last year with no charges against him. Gaetz’s political future is uncertain. He had abruptly resigned his congressional seat upon being selected as attorney general, a move seen as a way to shut down the ethics investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. He did win reelection in November for the new Congress, which convenes Jan. 3, 2025, but he said in his resignation letter last week to House Speaker Mike Johnson that he did not intend to take the oath of office. He transmitted a similar letter to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as the state launched a special election process to fill the vacancy. Republicans on the House Ethics Committee declined this week to release the panel's findings, over objections from Democrats in a split vote. But the committee did agree to finish its work and is scheduled to meet again Dec. 5 to discuss the matter. As word of Gaetz's decision spread across the Capitol, Republican senators seemed divided. Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who served with Gaetz in the House, called it a “positive move." Maine Sen. Susan Collins said Gaetz “put country first and I am pleased with his decision.” Others said they had hoped Gaetz could have overhauled the department. Florida Sen. Rick Scott, a close ally of Trump, said he was “disappointed. I like Matt and I think he would have changed the way DOJ is run.” Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said he hoped that Trump will pick someone “equally as tenacious and equally as committed to rooting out and eliminating bias and politicization at the DOJ.” Gaetz is not the only Trump pick facing congressional scrutiny over past allegations. A detailed investigative police report made public Wednesday shows that a woman told police that she was sexually assaulted in 2017 by Hegseth, the former Fox News host now tapped to lead the Pentagon, after he took her phone, blocked the door to a California hotel room and refused to let her leave. “The matter was fully investigated and I was completely cleared,” Hegseth told reporters Thursday at the Capitol, where he was meeting with senators to build support for his nomination. Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price, Lisa Mascaro, Mary Clare Jalonick and Adriana Gomez Licon contributed to this report. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
Former President Jimmy Carter, who died Dec. 29 at age 100, was a guest at the Monitor Breakfast nine times: first in 1971 as the new governor of Georgia; four more times before the 1976 election; once as president; and three times as a former president. His most memorable appearance may have been the morning of Dec. 12, 1974, when he handed the assembled reporters a scoop: He was running for president. But his disclosure was so low key that it generated little buzz. The Monitor’s story ran on Page 3. On June 24, 1976, before his nomination at the Democratic National Convention, Mr. Carter said at another breakfast that he would not bring up Watergate in the campaign, nor mention President Gerald Ford’s pardon of former President Richard Nixon. (Later, however, Mr. Carter seemed to change his tune; the Nixon pardon is widely seen as a key factor in his defeat of Mr. Ford.) At his final Monitor Breakfast , in 2005, Mr. Carter was critical of the U.S. invasion of Iraq and warned of what he called “a merger of the church and the state, of religion and politics.” But he did not spare himself in his critiques. “I am a better ex-president than I was a president,” he said, adding: “I would like to be remembered as someone who promoted peace and human rights.” On that, he has surely succeeded. Over the years, many an American president – and presidential wannabe – has graced the Monitor’s breakfast table, but almost none as frequently as Jimmy Carter. Former President Carter, who died Dec. 29 at age 100, appeared at our breakfast nine times: first as the newly inaugurated governor of Georgia, early in 1971; four more times before the 1976 election; once as president of the United States; and three times as a former president. In hindsight, his most memorable appearance may have been the morning of Dec. 12, 1974, when he handed the assembled reporters a scoop: He was running for president. But his disclosure was so low key, Governor Carter so unassuming, that it generated little buzz. The Monitor’s story on that breakfast ran on Page 3. “We didn’t rush to the phones,” Godfrey “Budge” Sperling wrote in a 1997 column reminiscing about politicians suggesting or outright announcing their presidential campaigns at his famous newsmaker breakfasts. “A few of the reporters, in a post-breakfast conversation, said they thought Carter’s prospects were nil. One sage uttered this pronouncement: ‘Carter isn’t forceful enough to become president.’ Others agreed.” That evening, Governor Carter made it official, announcing for the 1976 presidential race in a speech at the National Press Club. The rest is history. By December of 1974, Mr. Carter was already well familiar to Mr. Sperling and by extension, readers of the Monitor. Mr. Sperling and his wife, Betty, had gotten to know Mr. Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, at governors’ conferences. That friendship continued into the Carter presidency, says former Monitor editor David Cook, who hosted Monitor Breakfasts from 2001 to 2018. “Thus it was that the Sperlings had dinner with the President and First Lady in the White House Residence Quarters in July 1979,” Mr. Cook says in an email. That kind of socializing between reporters and presidents is much less common these days. But back then, Mr. Sperling used his gregarious nature to great effect in securing breakfast guests. And he was bipartisan in his outreach. The Sperlings were also friendly with Mr. Carter’s predecessor, Republican President Gerald Ford, and his wife, Betty. For the record, former President Ford appeared at Monitor Breakfasts 10 times: once during his presidency, five times before, and four times after. Mr. Ford and Mr. Carter both found the Monitor Breakfast to be a good fit – an opportunity to interact with reporters respectfully, on the record, and discuss policy and politics over bacon and eggs. But even if, early on, the Georgia governor came across as lacking forcefulness to hard-bitten Washington reporters, his outsider status ended up appealing to voters weary from the Watergate scandal and its aftermath. Mr. Carter’s intelligence and wide smile were also assets. In a 2002 column, Mr. Sperling reminisced about his first Carter breakfast. “I must admit I liked Jimmy Carter from the moment I first met him – when he popped up as a guest at a Monitor breakfast back in 1971,” Mr. Sperling wrote. “Los Angeles Times newsman Jack Nelson had suggested that we invite this Georgia governor to meet with us. At that point I had heard little about Carter. ‘We should keep our eye on him,’ Mr. Nelson said, because someday Carter was going to run for president.” Coverage of Mr. Carter’s many Monitor Breakfasts reveals a man ready to shake things up, in his own way. At the 1974 gathering, when he publicly revealed his presidential aspirations, he said he would ask for the power to use wage and price controls to address the struggling economy – “but I would use it circumspectly,” he added. Mr. Carter, a devout Baptist, also promised to issue a code of ethics “that will guide my campaign and administration.” On energy, he said he’d ask Americans to reduce consumption. On June 24, 1976, before his formal nomination at the Democratic National Convention in New York City, Mr. Carter sat down with 35 reporters at another Monitor Breakfast and addressed three main topics: whether he’d be willing to debate his general election opponent (probably); a sex scandal involving Democratic Rep. Wayne Hays of Ohio (Mr. Carter declined to disavow the congressman “at this time”); and his biggest challenge in defeating President Ford, if he won the GOP nomination (“the power of incumbency”). At the time, it wasn’t clear if Mr. Ford would be able to fend off a spirited convention challenge from former California Gov. Ronald Reagan. Mr. Ford won the nomination, handing Mr. Carter his biggest campaign weapon: Mr. Ford’s pardon of President Richard Nixon. But shockingly, at least by today’s standards, Mr. Carter said at his 1976 Monitor Breakfast that he would not bring up Watergate in the campaign, nor would he mention the Ford pardon of Mr. Nixon. Instead, Mr. Carter seemed to defend Mr. Ford, saying that the president had pardoned Mr. Nixon “because he thought it was the right thing to do.” Just a month later, however, Mr. Carter seemed to change his tune. At a news conference in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, he expressed disagreement with the pardon, saying Mr. Ford should not have done that “until after a trial had been completed” into Mr. Nixon’s alleged crimes around the Watergate scandal. The Nixon pardon is widely seen as a key factor in Mr. Carter’s defeat of Mr. Ford in 1976. In a 1989 column , Mr. Sperling cited Mr. Carter’s “decency” as another ingredient in his rise to the presidency. “Remember how Carter, as a new president, strove to put an end to the ‘regal presidency’ – the kind of pomp that had grown to ridiculous proportions under Richard Nixon?” Mr. Sperling wrote. “Carter wore a sweater at his early TV fire-side chats with the American people. He had walked hand-in-hand with Rosalynn back from the inaugural. Jimmy was always saying, through his actions: ‘Just because I’m president, I don’t think I’m any better than any other American.’ “This show of modesty played very well for a while with the public. Then – somehow – people tired of this.” As with any presidency, Mr. Carter’s had its highs and lows. He helped broker Middle East peace with the Camp David Accords and established the departments of Energy and Education, but also faced economic woes, including long gas lines, and the Iran hostage crisis. The Carter presidency ended after one term. But over time, he rehabilitated his image, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his advocacy of global human rights, and helping build houses for Habitat for Humanity well into his 90s. In his first post-presidency Monitor Breakfast, in 1982, a “relaxed” Mr. Carter seemed to be enjoying life “free from the burden of the Oval Office,” as Mr. Sperling put it . He commented on the 1984 presidential race, arms control, and Middle East developments. When asked if he might get back into politics, he said, “I have no thoughts on running again.” Afterward, Mr. Sperling notes, reporters commented that the reply left “ample room” for possibly seeking the presidency again. But unlike the most recent one-term president, Mr. Carter never went there. At a Monitor Breakfast on April 2, 1985, Mr. Carter came to promote his latest book, “The Blood of Abraham: Insights into the Middle East.” He criticized President Reagan, saying his Mideast policies were headed down a “dead-end street,” in part because of a failure to get involved directly in the peace process. Mr. Carter also admitted to mistakes in his own presidency, saying his White House “tried to do too much, too fast ... particularly in foreign policy.” But he also pushed back on an episode in which he felt unfairly treated: press coverage of his so-called “malaise speech” in 1979, aimed at soothing a weary nation struggling with an energy crisis – and which famously did not include the word “malaise.” Mr. Carter called it “one of the best speeches I ever made.” In his final Monitor Breakfast , hosted by Mr. Cook in 2005, Mr. Carter came to promote the 20th book of his post-presidency, called “Our Endangered Values: America’s Moral Crisis.” He was harshly critical of the Bush administration’s decision to invade Iraq, saying: “The attitude of going to war against a relatively defenseless country in order to prevent violence in the world is a complete fallacy.” At the same time, Mr. Carter also warned of what he called “a merger of the church and the state, of religion and politics.” And he didn’t spare his own party, saying he believed Democratic leaders were “overemphasizing the abortion issue,” and wrongly making it a “litmus test” that had hurt the party. More broadly, he lamented an “aversion” among Democratic leaders to showing “compatibility with the deeply religious people of this country.” Some two decades later, President Joe Biden may be the most openly religious Democratic chief executive since Mr. Carter. But there can be little doubt that the religious polarization identified by the 39th president has grown even more acute. Staff writer Harry Bruinius assisted with this report.
Emma Okonji Konga, a leading composite e-commerce group, is poised to transform the Nigerian media and commerce landscape with the upcoming launch of its AI-powered FM radio station in Lagos. The groundbreaking initiative, set to debut in January 2025, will mark Africa’s first Hit Music and Commerce Station, blending Technology, Entertainment, Commerce and more to drive impactful connections across the continent and the world. A reliable source reveals that the station – KongaFM, will be a pioneering platform to empower brands, distributors, and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to connect with untapped markets, revolutionizing commerce in real time. While offering businesses a new avenue for product visibility and market penetration, the station promises to deliver non-stop hit music, ensuring listeners enjoy a unique mix of entertainment and commercial opportunities. It will be a completely new experience for Nigerians. The initiative will also complement Konga’s existing TV arm and other media services, positioning the brand as a dominant force in marketing communications. The platforms are expected to create synergies that set new benchmarks for how entertainment and commerce converge in Africa while streaming globally. When asked for further details, CEO of Konga Group, Prince Nnamdi Ekeh, dwclined comment, stating that “full details and official announcements will be made in January 2025.” The anticipation around the launch continues to grow as industry experts and media enthusiasts eagerly await what is already being hailed as the next major evolution in Africa’s media and commerce space.South Dakota scores with 12 seconds left to beat FCS top-ranked North Dakota State 29-28
Hunter numbers and harvest success mixed in north-central Montana during fourth week of hunting seasonDr. Samantra Maitra joins ‘Fox & Friends Weekend’ to discuss President-elect Donald Trump’s visit to France and his anticipated meetings with world leaders. President-elect Trump met with world leaders ahead of the reopening ceremony of the Notre Dame Cathedral as he steps back onto the global stage following his election victory. Trump traveled to France on Saturday to attend the reopening of Notre Dame, the famous cathedral that suffered serious damage during a fire five years ago. The trip marks Trump's first international trip since being elected to a second, non-consecutive term in office. Trump's diplomacy was on full display during the trip as he met with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris. The pair was later joined by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy . "It's a great honor for French people to welcome you five years later," Macron said of Trump. "And you were, at that time, president for the first time. And I remember the solidarity and your immediate action. So welcome back again. We are very happy to have you here." ‘BREATHTAKING SPEED’: TRUMP'S PARIS TRIP MARKS RETURN TO GLOBAL STAGE AS LEADERS TURN ‘THE PAGE’ ON BIDEN France's President Emmanuel Macron (C), US president-elect Donald Trump (L) and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky pose before a meeting at The Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on December 7, 2024. (Sarah Meyssonnier) Ahead of the meeting, Trump said the world leaders would be talking about how "the world is going a little crazy right now." "We have a great relationship. As everyone knows, we accomplished a lot together," Trump said of Macron. "And the people of France are spectacular." DAVID MARCUS: TRIUMPHANT TRUMP AT NOTRE DAME SIGNALS AMERICA AND THE WEST ARE BACK Trump is expected to meet with Prince William, who is attending the event in place of his father, King Charles III, after the ceremony, according to Kensington Palace. French President Emmanuel Macron (R) shakes hands as he welcomes US President-elect Donald Trump (L) before a meeting at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris, France on December 7, 2024. (Mustafa Yalcin) President Biden is not expected to attend the event, however, First Lady Jill Biden will be present. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP William was scheduled to meet with the First Lady at the UK residence in Paris, but due to weather, the meeting was canceled, and the two will meet at the ceremony. Aubrie Spady is a Writer for Fox News Digital.
Jimmy Carter, the 39th US president, has died at 100
Jimmy Carter, the 39th US president, has died at 100ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Croatia’s incumbent President Zoran Milanovic won most of the votes in the first round of a presidential election on Sunday, but must face a runoff against a ruling party candidate to secure another five-year term. With nearly all of the votes counted, left-leaning Milanovic won 49% while his main challenger Dragan Primorac, a candidate of the ruling conservative HDZ party, trailed far behind with 19%. Pre-election polls had predicted that the two would face off in the second round on Jan. 12, as none of the eight presidential election contenders were projected to get more than 50% of the vote. Milanovic thanked his supporters but warned “this was just a first run.” “Let’s not be triumphant, let’s be realistic, firmly on the ground,” he said. “We must fight all over again. It’s not over till it’s over.” Milanovic is an outspoken critic of Western military support for Ukraine in its war against Russia. He is often compared to Donald Trump for his combative style of communication with political opponents. The most popular politician in Croatia, 58-year-old Milanović has served as prime minister in the past. Populist in style, he has been a fierce critic of current Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and continuous sparring between the two has lately marked Croatia’s political scene. Plenković, the prime minister, has sought to portray the vote as one about Croatia’s future in the EU and NATO. He has labeled Milanović “pro-Russian” and a threat to Croatia’s international standing. “The difference between him and Milanović is quite simple: Milanović is leading us East, Primorac is leading us West,” he said. Though the presidency is largely ceremonial in Croatia, an elected president holds political authority and acts as the supreme military commander. Milanović has criticized the NATO and European Union support for Ukraine and has often insisted that Croatia should not take sides. He has said Croatia should stay away from global disputes, though it is a member of both NATO and the EU. Milanović has also blocked Croatia’s participation in a NATO-led training mission for Ukraine, declaring that “no Croatian soldier will take part in somebody else’s war.” His main rival in the election, Primorac, has stated that “Croatia’s place is in the West, not the East.” His presidency bid, however, has been marred by a high-level corruption case that landed Croatia’s health minister in jail last month and featured prominently in pre-election debates. During the election campaign, Primorac has sought to portray himself as a unifier and Milanović as divisive. Primorac was upbeat despite such a big defeat in the first round. “I know the difference (in votes) at first sight seems very big,” said Primorac, who insisted that the center-right votes had split among too many conservative candidates. “Now we have a great opportunity to face each other one on one and show who stands for what,” he said. Sunday’s presidential election is Croatia’s third vote this year, following a parliamentary election in April and the European Parliament balloting in June.
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