TWO educational institutions, Mandaue City College (MCC) and Benedicto College (BC), are setting benchmarks in fostering safer and more inclusive learning environments through their anti-bullying campaigns and mental health programs. MCC and BC’s comprehensive approaches focus on education, support systems, and community collaboration, ensuring the well-being of its students and its personnel. MCC has implemented innovative strategies to address bullying and mental health concerns. In line with Mental Health Month, the institution hosted seminars and workshops featuring experts from Cebu Technological University CTU, City Health Office, and the Mandaue City Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Office (SAMHSO). Guidance Counselor Cheryl O. Repique said the school’s proactive measures include seminars on bullying policies, stress management, and healthy diets. MCC also introduced bibliotherapy and a wellness room equipped with board games and free food to promote a sense of community. Last October, weekly zumba sessions were held every Friday to maintain physical and mental wellness among the students. Ashley Dave Almario, a second-year Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSED) student, shared how the school’s initiatives helped him overcome bullying as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. “I received negative comments about my appearance and actions, but the seminars and inclusivity campaigns helped me regain confidence,” Almario said. Teachers at MCC have also been instrumental in the institution’s efforts by participating in training programs that recognize the warning signs of mental health issues and emphasize suicide prevention. BC, meanwhile, takes a community-driven approach to combat bullying and promote mental health. Anti-bullying policies are integrated into the school’s manual, and awareness campaigns are introduced even before the school year begins. BC Director for Academic Affairs Dr. Ranulfo Visaya underscored the importance of addressing bullying as a societal issue. Angelito B. Magnanao, a third-year Bachelor of Elementary Education (BEED) student, shared how the mental health programs have helped him after facing bullying due to his skin condition. BC also coordinates with government agencies to host seminars on bullying prevention and mental health awareness. “By understanding the root causes of bullying and providing support, we aim to create an inclusive and safe learning environment,” said Visaya. MCC and BC’s initiatives underscore their shared commitment to creating supportive environments where students can thrive emotionally, mentally, and socially. By combining education, collaboration, and innovation, these institutions are fostering communities that prioritize well-being, inclusivity, and resilience of its students and workforce. by: Trixcy Shien M. Cobarde & Bejay Chen B. Tabayag, Jamaica B. Bregente & Yvon Maratas /Benedicto CollegeMOBILE owners have spotted an "utterly ridiculous" rule that could technically see them slapped with a £1,000 fine. People may not realise that you need a TV licence to watch live channels on your smartphone as well as your TV. 3 Think twice before streaming live sports on your phone Credit: Alamy 3 People have described the little-known rule as 'utterly ridiculous' Credit: Alamy A TV licence - which currently costs £169.50 for the year - is needed for any live TV and use of BBC iPlayer. But it turns out the rules go even further when watching TV away from home. Your existing TV licence covers your smartphone anywhere - unless it's plugged in at a different property in the UK, such as your mate's house or on a UK holiday. When it's plugged in at another location, your smartphone will need to be covered by a separate TV licence for that property. Read more about mobiles CASE CLOSED iPhone owner told ‘turn it off immediately’ after Apple fans spot ‘fire risk’ APP ATTACK Android users warned of chilling Russian spy attack that records phone calls So if you're at a friend's place who doesn't have a licence, charging your phone as you watch a live football match, you're technically falling foul of the law. And if you're caught by an inspector knocking at the door the maximum fine is £1,000. "As most know, you need a TV license to watch or record any live broadcast programs, or BBC iPlayer on demand, regardless of device or medium," a user recently wrote on Reddit. "Your TV license also covers you to watch this content if you are away from home on a portable device. Most read in Tech IN THE MARKET Aberdeen 'submit transfer offer' for 37-times capped international captain IN THE RED Ex-Dundee United chairman's debts revealed as he's officially declared bankrupt RUFF CROWD Rangers cult hero spotted at the darts as fans say 'best fancy dress ever' DRINK IT IN Ex-Celtic ace spotted partying wearing sombrero and downing high-strength booze "Here’s the kicker - if you visit someone’s house who doesn’t pay for a TV License, you are allowed to watch live telly on your phone. "However, if you then plug your phone into a charger, you will be breaking the law. "How utterly ridiculous! And how would they even know?" The strange clause demonstrates issues for the TV licence in the digital age, amid a boom in online live streaming with the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime showing more big events. Prime has already taken on a number of live Premier League games. And Netflix is taking over WWE next year which will include live fights too. According to the TV Licensing website, "if you’re using a mobile device powered solely by its own internal batteries – like a smartphone, tablet or laptop – you will be covered by your home’s TV Licence, wherever you’re using it in the UK and Channel Islands. "However, if you’re away from home and plug one of these devices into the mains and use it to watch live on any channel, pay TV service or streaming service, or use BBC iPlayer, you need to be covered by a separate TV Licence at that address (unless you’re in a vehicle or vessel like a train, car or boat)." 3 Ensure you're not falling foul of the rules Credit: Getty What are the TV Licence rules? Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor at The Sun, explains : A TV Licence currently costs £169.50. Some people mistakenly believe that you only need a TV Licence if you have a TV or watch BBC channels. You aren't breaking the law if you own a TV without a licence, as long as it's not hooked up to an aerial or other live broadcasting equipment - so you can use it with your PS5 for gaming for example. The basic principle is, that if you are accessing any live broadcast from any channel, whether it be through a TV or online, you must have a TV Licence. If you are recording a live broadcast to watch later, you also need a TV Licence. Watching on-demand content does not require a TV Licence - except if you're watching BBC iPlayer. Image credit: AlamyNew York Giants owner John Mara furious over TV broadcast appearance
Jimmy Carter: Many evolutions for a centenarian ‘citizen of the world’
Briefly | Polis, Union Pacific reach agreement on Moffat Tunnel lease renewalIt’s been a rocky year for relations between the Jewish community and Toronto’s municipal government following the Oct. 7, 2023, assault on Israel—which led to an ongoing regional war in the Middle East and repeated anti-Israel demonstrations and attacks on Jewish institutions in Canada. Local and nationwide organizations have urged their elected representatives to demonstrate stronger leadership in condemning antisemitism in Toronto. But the responses they report receiving remain largely lukewarm. Mayor Olivia Chow’s absence at the Oct. 7, 2024, memorial event organized by UJA Federation of Greater Toronto—attended by Ontario premier Doug Ford, federal members of Parliament, provincial lawmakers and some city councillors—amplified the perception that the mayor’s support is lacking. It’s a thread of criticism that started over a year ago when the mayor’s office posted remarks attributed to Chow a few hours after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, which were publicly posted and quickly deleted twice on social media before a final version was settled upon. My earlier tweets on this have been deleted because of the harm and confusion they caused. — Mayor Olivia Chow (@MayorOliviaChow) October 8, 2023 Chow’s handling of her no-show at the memorial did nothing to improve the Jewish community’s confidence in her support, already seen as inconsistent. The office of the mayor offered three separate reasons for her absence, including not having received the invitation. Then came a TV news interview where Chow said “it doesn’t matter” why she missed the commemoration, but she ultimately apologized to the Jewish community. A petition urging Chow to resign for neglecting the Jewish community gathered more than 12,000 signatures during that period. 'I should have been there': Toronto mayor says she regrets not being at Oct. 7 vigil https://t.co/u2xeRK3zvS — CP24 (@CP24) October 13, 2024 The imbroglio over the memorial exemplifies the disappointment many Jewish Torontonians associate with Chow. The sense of insult and political calculus linked to Chow has permeated, despite her apology. Jewish advocacy groups say the community wants to see more leadership from Chow on condemning antisemitism when it shows up in displays of Hamas headbands, or a Hezbollah flag. Toronto police arrested two people on public incitement of hatred charges following a protest in late September where they continued to display the flag of Hezbollah despite officers’ warnings. Chow also skipped the Walk with Israel in early June, which drew an estimated 50,000 people. That same weekend, Chow enthusiastically attended the annual Grilled Cheese Festival in Etobicoke—an appearance publicized a few days later with a few puns. Toronto the gouda! 🧀 I had a feta-stic time at the Grilled Cheese Festival this weekend with @CllrAmberMorley in Etobicoke. Always grate to brie with so many out enjoying their neighbourhoods. It makes our city a cheddar place to live. I mean, better—better place to live. pic.twitter.com/9dX1I0Yjod — Mayor Olivia Chow (@MayorOliviaChow) June 12, 2024 Later in June, Chow marched in the annual Pride parade (she attends regularly), but did not comment when a demonstration over sponsors’ Israeli investments led the parade procession to be halted prematurely—with some of participants and crowds still lining Yonge Street. Some fences mended with mayor The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), which called out Chow’s no-show at the Oct. 7 memorial, met with the mayor, her chief of staff Michal Hay, and a UJA executive, at Chow’s office in October. Michelle Stock, CIJA’s vice-president for Ontario, says she told Chow she wants her to take a tougher, more vocal posture in denouncing antisemitism. The mayor needs to show up more consistently for the Jewish community, says Stock—regardless of perceived political support for Israel. Chow has appeared at a number of major events, including UJA’s emergency rally on Oct. 9, 2023, and a gathering of support following the first of two early Saturday morning gunfire incidents—which took place in May and October outside the empty Bais Chaya Mushka Elementary School in North York. Politicians, including Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, Solicitior-General Michael Kerzner, Education Minister Stephen Lecce and Toronto city councillor James Pasternak speak at a rally, May 27, 2024 after a Chabad girls’ school was shot the previous Shabbat. Stock maintains that “[Chow] needs to be clear... the Jewish community in Toronto are her constituents. We are taxpayers... we have a right to have law and order, to have safety in our streets, and feel that we can be openly Jewish and not feel like you have to hide that.” Stock says she’d like to see Chow speak up unequivocally and that the mayor “needs to continue to show presence in the community” and “acknowledge the experience of the Jewish [community] in Toronto,” including demonstrations taking to Jewish neighbourhoods. CIJA’s vice-president for Ontario adds that by not standing with the Jewish community, Chow, who campaigned on diversity and inclusion in her mayoral campaign, is creating the opposite effect. “Hateful chants in [the] streets... terrorist flags at these protests, people dressing up like Hamas... those are unacceptable behaviours, and by her not going out and publicly denouncing these things and being very clear that she doesn’t want to see these things in her street—and taking that leadership position—she’s countering what her brand is about: diversity and inclusion. “She’s emboldening... more division in her city rather than bringing people together to find the common ground... the shared values we all have as Torontonians.” It was an honour to join @thethmuseum this evening for the start of Holocaust Education Week. In the present, we must continue to fight against antisemitism and the fear and terror that feed fascism. Check out events all week: https://t.co/YMRA2zjk1M pic.twitter.com/OcLkb3K7dw — Mayor Olivia Chow (@MayorOliviaChow) November 5, 2024 Despite the Oct. 7 memorial letdown, Stock gives Chow credit for attending the Toronto Holocaust Museum one month later for a tour and discussion on contemporary antisemitism. Social media postings claimed the mayor made a hasty exit partway through the program—a falsehood amplified by independent downtown MP Kevin Vuong without a subsequent correction or apology—but Stock confirms that Chow participated in the entire event as scheduled. “People had an opportunity to voice their concerns with her about what was going on in Toronto, and she gave people a lot of airtime.” Bubble bylaw idea defeated at council It’s not simply that Chow has not appeared consistently at Jewish community events, but that raucous anti-Israel protests have gone on throughout the city, which make some Jews feel protesters have gotten a free pass. ‘Bubble zone’ legislation which would have prevented protests near religious institutions was introduced to city council in October 2023—but councillors narrowly voted down the bylaw the following May, instead asking the city manager to devise an action plan and refer it to the police. (Similar legislation has been passed in municipalities near Toronto, including Vaughan and Brampton.) ‘Keeping Toronto Safe from Hate’ came to the police board as a draft proposal in September. Following a unanimous Oct. 12 vote on a motion by Chow—one year after council adopted an initial motion of the same name around anti-hate measures—the city’s website launched a resource page for the initiative. Toronto’s greatest strength is its diversity. If you call Toronto home, you are welcome here. There is space for you. There is no place for Islamophobia, antisemitism or hate. Learn more about what the City is doing to stop hate and build peace at https://t.co/JlIRhk2YqD pic.twitter.com/9OaURrUBLe — City of Toronto (@cityoftoronto) February 27, 2024 The plan covers six categories: infrastructure, legislation, community safety and funding, public education and awareness, incident management and response, and increased collaboration between the City of Toronto and Toronto Police Service. The plan does not propose new municipal departments or entities, and instead draws on the city’s existing diversity, equity, inclusion, and community safety efforts, and policies “promoting respectful conduct, inclusion and an environment free from hate.” In a statement from Chow’s office to The CJN, the mayor noted her support for the Jewish community included affirming a council motion in June from uptown York Centre city councillor James Pasternak—one of four of Toronto’s elected municipal politicians who is Jewish, along with Josh Matlow, Dianne Saxe and newcomer Rachel Chernos Lin—which was called “Fostering Belonging, Community and Inclusion, and Combating Hate in Toronto.” The city committed to relaunch its anti-hate public education campaigns displayed on city-owned bus shelters and benches, maximize safety on city streets through urban design, explore additional city funding for gathering spaces, and direct city staff to review the graffiti management plan to ensure there is a rapid response to hate graffiti. Stickers affixed to the backs of City of Toronto street signs near Ossington Avenue in Toronto’s west end, earlier in 2024. (Credit: Jonathan Rothman) Chow also signed a declaration from multifaith coalition Rally for Humanity, which Pasternak introduced at the most recent monthly meeting of city council. Chow told The CJN in a statement she is committed to the safety and well being of Toronto’s Jewish community. “There is no place for antisemitism in our city—full stop.” This month, the police board passed a long-term hiring plan designed to boost the number of officers. “This plan is responsive to the needs of Torontonians, including members of the Jewish community who have felt unsafe in our city over the last year,” wrote Chow, saying she’ll work with other levels of government to fund the plan. Budget chief Shelley Carroll, a councillor and member of the police board, confirmed in a written response that the Jewish community was among those helping to “shape [the city’s] priorities” during pre-budget consultations that ended Oct. 31. Speaking to The CJN last month, Pasternak—whose riding has a significant Jewish population—called bubble legislation an important step. But leadership and law enforcement are the key issues, he says. “Our big problem is we are not getting universal condemnation and the strong law enforcement aspect that we need to stop... these hateful mobs. One of the most severe consequences [of those] since Oct. 7 is that they have left the city very vulnerable when it comes to law and order. “From the Jewish community point of view, we want to see [TPS] get the resources they need to keep our city safe, to keep our community safe.” Pasternak thanked community leaders when he introduced the declaration at council on Nov. 13, saying “government alone cannot do all the things necessary to keep the city liveable, safe and free from hate, and one of high purpose, through social cohesion.” He told The CJN that protest bubble zones are a “crucial part of keeping our faith-based institutions safe” by creating spaces protesters cannot access. But his colleague Josh Matlow of the midtown St. Paul’s riding–where the Jewish population is also significant— says that “community safety zones,” or bubble zones, and similar measures do not resolve the challenges the city’s Jewish community is facing, which Matlow says are too important for “symbolic gestures... that don’t mean, or achieve, anything.” The initial bylaw was too broadly worded to be enforceable, he said. “It didn’t focus in on the real problem, which is when members of the Jewish community are being harassed and intimidated by protesters. “In many cases before Oct. 7, and certainly since, there’s been a heightened level of insecurity in Toronto’s Jewish community when it comes to their safety. Jewish Torontonians want to feel “that the city and the police are doing everything they can to keep them safe,” said Matlow, including protecting Jewish spaces like schools, synagogues, and community centres, and enforcing existing laws. “It’s really important that whenever any one of our communities is subject to hate and harassment and intimidation, whether that be Black, LGBTQ2S+, Asian, Muslim, or Jewish community, that leaders take a stand and make it very clear we don’t accept that... we stand with the community that’s being victimized. “And what I hear from the Jewish community is that far too often they feel that they’re not treated that way.” The new action plan is taking important steps, he says, with improved coordination between police and the city. “The police have come a long way, and I think they’ve adapted their approach, working with the city. There’s still a lot of work to do, but I think that things have come a long way.” the “yes” vote prevented (and was against) the request for bubble zones. It supported a do nothing approach to the mayhem in our city. https://t.co/wVvKBTF6gD pic.twitter.com/78SC398DvA — James Pasternak (@PasternakTO) May 24, 2024 Josh Matlow, meanwhile, continues to caution that the focus on places of worship—including several prominent Jewish institutions in his own ward—won’t entirely address the issue. “The evidence has shown us that the vast majority of incidents where Jews in our city have been harassed, have been intimidated, have actually not been at synagogues,” he said. “It’s, sadly, almost everywhere else: it’s been in parks... it’s been at Jewish-owned businesses. “The reality is there’s no such thing as a safety [zone] in real life. What we need to do is actually address the surge in antisemitic incidents throughout our city... and that’s not as simple as suggesting that we’re going to create some magic safety bubble.” The view from downtown streets For some Jewish residents, there’s a sense that their local councillors have been ineffective in denouncing antisemitism, especially when it shows up as violent and anti-Israel images and graffiti. Joanna Salit, who lives in the west-end riding of Davenport, where Alejandra Bravo is the city councillor, started a WhatsApp group for concerned residents, saying the graffiti on the streets that is violently anti-Israel makes her and others unsafe. Salit initially met with Bravo in August, followed by another meeting in late September where she was joined by about 20 other concerned members of the Davenport group. Posters and graffiti the community has found threatening and offensive include one recent flyer seen near Oakwood Collegiate, featuring “resistance” language alongside caricatures of women bearing assault rifles. Salit says she’s tried to get Bravo to make public statements addressing harmful messages littering the area. Toronto Police Service launched a web form for reporting hate-motivated graffiti in November last yearin the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks—and, in March 2024, TPS statistics showed 342 hate-related graffiti occurrences. In a statement to The CJN, Bravo wrote that her office directs residents who report graffiti and posters to refer to the city’s process for removal under existing bylaws, and that TPS investigates reports of hate propaganda and hate-related incidents. “Individual city councillors and their offices do not have the authority to direct bylaw enforcement or police enforcement activities,” she wrote. “While views within Davenport and Toronto may diverge on global events, one thing is clear to me: Antisemitism is a scourge, and it is unacceptable. Hate speech and intimidation of any kind are unacceptable. I unequivocally condemn the recent occurrences of bomb threats, gunshots, and vandalism at Jewish institutions including synagogues and schools.” Bravo also commented after an online video showed an antisemitic rant outside a mechanic’s garage on Geary Avenue. She recently denounced the attack on a mother outside a Chabad of Midtown pre-school, which police are investigating. “Antisemitic hatred and violence is abhorrent and unacceptable in our communities,” Bravo posted online after the attack in November. Salit has emailed Bravo and Chow photos of the posters that call for “resistance” with assault rifles, and says she wants to see a strong stance against those, too. A poster in Davenport, in the west end of Toronto, seen near a high school in the district. (submitted) “She [Bravo] really needs to be standing up for all constituents,” said Salit. “And say that Jew hatred in Davenport is not OK.” Sarah Margles is a Davenport resident who attended the meeting at City Hall with Bravo, and says the failure in leadership she sees shows the need to establish and uphold common values in the city. She says her city councillor’s office sent a warm reply to her offer to further discuss subjects like antisemitism on the left wing of the political spectrum, though Bravo’s office has not yet taken her up on the offer. Margles’ sense is that what’s playing out in Davenport is part of a wider dynamic. “The environment is so polarized, and not just on this issue,” she said. “Jews here are feeling scared... feeling attacked because of what’s happening over there. That’s not cool. It’s also true about the experience of Muslims and Arabs and Palestinians who are feeling attacked here by Jews and the pro-Israel movement, and they’re also feeling attacked here because of what’s happening there. And that’s also not cool.” City of Toronto officials, she says, are “also just dealing with rats and power outages... the real city things.” Responses to posters, stickers, and graffiti in Toronto’s west end, including in Davenport, in 2023 and 2024 (Jonathan Rothman photos) When elected officials see signs around that say “resistance at all costs” with images “with a bunch of women holding guns,” they see that with different eyes than the Jewish community does, she said. “The city needs a comprehensive way to look at ‘How do we deal with international clashes that blow up in our city even though the actual things are happening elsewhere, but the sentiment and the emotions and the fear and the anger are exploding here?’” Margles says there’s a lack of leadership in taking that on. “I don’t see them being clear about ‘Here’s what needs to happen in Toronto. We need to figure out how to not take our frustrations out on each other [if we are] upset about what’s happening around the world.” On some of the posters and graffiti on Toronto , exchanges of duelling counter-narratives between ideological opponents lead to erasing the previous message and replacing it with a response, be it to posters, stickers, handbills, or graffiti, including in Davenport, in the year-plus since the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel and ensuing war. (Jonathan Rothman photos) Along with standing against antisemitism, and Islamophobia, she says, there’s often disagreement on the line between political advocacy and discrimination. “We’re going to have to figure out how to carve those lines around ‘When is political advocacy tipping into discrimination or harassment of any group?’ And those policies need to be developed robustly and they need to be applied equitably to everyone.”
, where they suffered a crushing 34-7 defeat against the Atlanta Falcons. This loss solidified their position at the bottom of the Adding to the drama, , and it was clear Mara was less than pleased to be the focus, especially in the midst of such a lopsided game. His visible anger only highlighted the growing tensions and dissatisfaction surrounding the Giants' performance this season. Since parting ways with Daniel Jones, the team has struggled to find a reliable replacement, further complicating their efforts to turn the season around. Fans and analysts alike are speculating about the future direction of the team, with many calling for significant changes in both strategy and personnel. Another airplane over the Metlife for this Week 17? A banner-carrying airplane flew by MetLife Stadium ahead of a New York Giants home game, capturing the attention of fans and media alike. The message, displayed before the Week 15 game against the Baltimore Ravens, was a direct plea to Giants owner John Mara, urging him to take action amid the team's ongoing struggles. The banner read, "Mr. Mara enough. We won't stop until you fire everyone," signaling the growing frustration among the Giants' fanbase as they witness another disappointing season. The phrase "Mr. Mara enough" has become the rallying cry for a group of Giants fans who are determined to see significant changes within the organization. This same message was prominently featured during the team's Week 14 matchup with the New Orleans Saints, where another banner read, "Mr. Mara enough. Plz fix this dumpster fire." The fans' persistent efforts highlight their dissatisfaction with the team's direction and their hope that public displays of discontent will prompt Mara to overhaul the coaching staff and management.Thailand's Jeeno wins LPGA Tour Championship
Ukrainian newcomers will soon have two new places to call home in Guelph and Wellington County. Volunteer group Waterloo Region Grassroots Response to the Ukrainian Crisis has announced it is ready to open two new Ukrainian Guest houses in Guelph and Elora later this month – its first locations in both areas. Grassroots founder Stephanie Goertz said the homes are used to house Ukrainian newcomers who aren’t considered refugees and don’t receive as much support from the federal government. “The benefit of our houses is they not only provide an opportunity for people who really have a lack of money to rent their own or can’t find a landlord willing to rent to them because they don’t have a job or a credit history, it really allows these newcomers to build the social connections to need to be much more successful in Canada,” said Goertz in an interview. Grassroots’ newest property in Guelph/Eramosa was found thanks to a connection from the Rotary Club, which had a member with property available that he wanted to offer the group to “help and support displaced Ukrainians.” The location is set to open in the next couple of weeks as it needs “a couple of small renovations” including painting and new flooring. Located five minutes south of Elora, Goertz said the owners of the Centre Wellington property reached out to them after seeing a press release online several months ago and since their tenant was moving out decided they wanted to “use their property to help others.” “We are always seeking out landlords and property owners that have properties available,” said Goertz. “And the property owners themselves want to give back. They want to help newcomers, and they want to work with us in a collaborative way. So we’re always looking for those landlords.” The group is currently working to get its Elora location ready for a family with a mother, teenage daughter and dog, who are set to arrive later this week. As some of the other houses couldn’t support a family with a pet, Goertz said the Elora property came at “the perfect time” as the group has been working for the last two weeks to figure out where to settle this family. “Right now, the house is completely empty- we’re still getting in and cleaning,” said Goetz. “But over the next day or two, we’ll have everyone setting up the house with dishes, bedding, towels, soap, hygiene items and all that stuff for the welcome.” Outside of housing, Goertz said one of the best ways to support the group is through employment opportunities. The group is currently looking to connect with employers in Guelph or Elora that might have a job for one of their newcomers. “Right now we are desperately calling as many as possible this week to find companies who would be willing to talk with us about hiring Ukrainian newcomers,” said Goertz. “We would love to, in the next week, find at least two or three companies and then connect them with the people that need employment so that when we move those people into the house,...they have everything they need and then it gets them on their feet.” Grassroots is also currently looking for financial support as it’s anticipated more newcomers will be directed their way once government support is cut off in March. 2025 and they want to continue helping new families and providing their existing support beyond the deadline. “Our operational budget is quite extensive. So, yes, we want to keep expanding. Yes, want to keep helping people, but we need the financial support because if we don’t get the financial support, then we close,” said Goertz. “And right now we can’t really close because there’s no other groups that are really doing what we’re doing for Ukrainian newcomers.” This help continues to be important for newcomers like Lyudmila Chentsova, who arrived in Roseville last spring with her sons after connecting with a host family through Grassroots- passport in hand, two weeks before her flight to Canada was planned. Since arriving in Canada, Chentsova has found employment and reunited with her husband in Canada thanks to Grassroots and continues to volunteer with the group in the hopes she can be “useful” to the community. “I was so happy when I heard from Grassroots,” said Chentsova. “This has been a big help for me and for my family.” Any donations and/or inquiries should be directed towards Grassroots’ website: Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.
No. 11 Tennessee crushes UTEP to enhance CFP chances
Vikings escape with 30-27 win over Bears in overtime thrillerGareth O'Callaghan: People are wondering if they will bother to vote at allThe Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, on Sunday announced that the former governor of Ebonyi State and Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has been selected as the 2024 Igbo Man of the Year. In a statement in Abakaliki, the Secretary-General of the Chidi Ibeh-led faction of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said that after critical evaluation and independent assessment of public officeholders of Igbo extraction within the 2024 framework, Umahi was chosen as Igbo Man of the Year, surpassing the likes of Hope Uzodinma, Benjamin Kalu, and others. He also thanked President Bola Tinubu for being the first president to remember Ndigbo, adding that his administration’s impactful recognition of the Southeastern region marks a landmark shift not seen in the 55 years since the conclusion of the Nigerian Civil War in 1970. Isiguzoro noted that Ohanaeze Ndigbo employed a rigorous model of evaluation on critical areas such as infrastructure development, job creation, solutions to insecurity, democratic inclusiveness, and historical and current antecedents, with Umahi standing tall among others. Isiguzoro further stated that Ohanaeze extends its commendation to Governors Peter Mba and Francis Nwaifuru of Enugu and Ebonyi states, who exhibited exemplary governance by allowing their elected local chairmen full access to the benefits that stem from local government autonomy, promoting transparency and accountability. The statement read: “The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, takes this momentous occasion to express its unequivocal admiration for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. His administration’s impactful recognition of the Southeastern region marks a landmark shift not witnessed in 55 years since the conclusion of the Nigerian Civil War in 1970. “His commitment to massive infrastructure development throughout the Southeast, largely orchestrated by Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, positions the region for a future that is decidedly more prosperous and hopeful. “In our thorough and independent assessment of public officeholders of Igbo extraction within the 2024 framework, Ohanaeze Ndigbo employed a rigorous model of evaluation. This new set of ‘Igbo Performance Perimeters and Indexes’ provided a transparent and quantifiable means to hold public officials accountable. “In our comprehensive report, we proudly announce Senator Dave Umahi as the 2024 Igbo Man of the Year. His accomplishments as Minister of Works have been nothing short of extraordinary. From revitalizing dilapidated federal roads to creating innovative job opportunities via groundbreaking cement technology. “Umahi has delivered tangible benefits to the people. Notably, his effective strategies in fostering development have addressed longstanding security concerns on major highways, helping to restore a sense of safety and normalcy in the region. “The acknowledgment of Umahi’s pivotal role in ensuring a harmonious relationship between the Southeast and the Federal Government, especially highlighted by his efforts to prevent regional participation in national protests, is commendable. “This has fostered an environment conducive to collaborative governance—an important disposition for a polarized nation. Consequently, Rt Hon Benjamin Kalu stands as the second-best performer among National Assembly members, solidifying the significance of a concerted Igbo political strategy going forward.”
PLAINS, Ga. (AP) — Newly married and sworn as a Naval officer, left his tiny hometown in 1946 hoping to climb the ranks and see the world. Less than a decade later, the death of his father and namesake, a merchant farmer and local politician who went by “Mr. Earl,” prompted the submariner and his wife, Rosalynn, to return to the rural life of Plains, Georgia, they thought they’d escaped. The lieutenant never would be an admiral. Instead, he became commander in chief. Years after his presidency ended in humbling defeat, he would add a Nobel Peace Prize, awarded not for his White House accomplishments but “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” The life of James Earl Carter Jr., the 39th and longest-lived U.S. president, ended Sunday at the age of 100 where it began: Plains, the town of 600 that fueled his political rise, welcomed him after his fall and sustained him during 40 years of service that redefined what it means to be a former president. With the stubborn confidence of an engineer and an optimism rooted in his Baptist faith, Carter described his motivations in politics and beyond in the same way: an almost missionary zeal to solve problems and improve lives. Carter was raised amid racism, abject poverty and hard rural living — realities that shaped both his deliberate politics and emphasis on human rights. “He always felt a responsibility to help people,” said Jill Stuckey, a longtime friend of Carter’s in Plains. “And when he couldn’t make change wherever he was, he decided he had to go higher.” Carter’s path, , pitted moral imperatives against political pragmatism; and it defied typical labels of American politics, especially caricatures of one-term presidents as failures. “We shouldn’t judge presidents by how popular they are in their day. That’s a very narrow way of assessing them,” Carter biographer Jonathan Alter told the Associated Press. “We should judge them by how they changed the country and the world for the better. On that score, Jimmy Carter is not in the first rank of American presidents, but he stands up quite well.” Later in life, Carter conceded that many Americans, even those too young to remember his tenure, judged him ineffective for failing to contain inflation or interest rates, end the energy crisis or quickly bring home American hostages in Iran. He gained admirers instead for his work at The Carter Center — advocating globally for public health, human rights and democracy since 1982 — and the decades he and Rosalynn wore hardhats and swung hammers with Habitat for Humanity. Yet the common view that he was better after the Oval Office than in it annoyed Carter, and his allies relished him living long enough to see historians reassess his presidency. “He doesn’t quite fit in today’s terms” of a left-right, red-blue scoreboard, said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who visited the former president multiple times during his own White House bid. At various points in his political career, Carter labeled himself “progressive” or “conservative” — sometimes both at once. His most ambitious health care bill failed — perhaps one of his biggest legislative disappointments — because it didn’t go far enough to suit liberals. Republicans, especially after his 1980 defeat, cast him as a left-wing cartoon. It would be easiest to classify Carter as a centrist, Buttigieg said, “but there’s also something radical about the depth of his commitment to looking after those who are left out of society and out of the economy.” Indeed, Carter’s legacy is stitched with complexities, contradictions and evolutions — personal and political. The self-styled peacemaker was a war-trained Naval Academy graduate who promised Democratic challenger Ted Kennedy that he’d “kick his ass.” But he campaigned with a call to treat everyone with “respect and compassion and with love.” Carter vowed to restore America’s virtue after the shame of Vietnam and Watergate, and his technocratic, good-government approach didn’t suit Republicans who tagged government itself as the problem. It also sometimes put Carter at odds with fellow Democrats. The result still was a notable legislative record, with wins on the environment, education, and mental health care. He dramatically expanded federally protected lands, began deregulating air travel, railroads and trucking, and he put human rights at the center of U.S. foreign policy. As a fiscal hawk, Carter added a relative pittance to the national debt, unlike successors from both parties. Carter nonetheless struggled to make his achievements resonate with the electorate he charmed in 1976. Quoting Bob Dylan and grinning enthusiastically, he had promised voters he would “never tell a lie.” Once in Washington, though, he led like a joyless engineer, insisting his ideas would become reality and he’d be rewarded politically if only he could convince enough people with facts and logic. This served him well at Camp David, where he brokered peace between Israel’s Menachem Begin and Epypt’s Anwar Sadat, an experience that later sparked the idea of The Carter Center in Atlanta. Carter’s tenacity helped the center grow to a global force that monitored elections across five continents, enabled his freelance diplomacy and sent public health experts across the developing world. The center’s wins were personal for Carter, who hoped to outlive the last Guinea worm parasite, and nearly did. As president, though, the approach fell short when he urged consumers beleaguered by energy costs to turn down their thermostats. Or when he tried to be the nation’s cheerleader, beseeching Americans to overcome a collective “crisis of confidence.” Republican Ronald Reagan exploited Carter’s lecturing tone with a belittling quip in their lone 1980 debate. “There you go again,” the former Hollywood actor said in response to a wonky answer from the sitting president. “The Great Communicator” outpaced Carter in all but six states. Carter later suggested he “tried to do too much, too soon” and mused that he was incompatible with Washington culture: media figures, lobbyists and Georgetown social elites who looked down on the as “country come to town.” Carter carefully navigated divides on race and class on his way to the Oval Office. , Carter was raised in the mostly Black community of Archery, just outside Plains, by a progressive mother and white supremacist father. Their home had no running water or electricity but the future president still grew up with the relative advantages of a locally prominent, land-owning family in a system of Jim Crow segregation. He wrote of President Franklin Roosevelt’s towering presence and his family’s Democratic Party roots, but his father soured on FDR, and Jimmy Carter never campaigned or governed as a New Deal liberal. He offered himself as a small-town peanut farmer with an understated style, carrying his own luggage, bunking with supporters during his first presidential campaign and always using his nickname. And he began his political career in a whites-only Democratic Party. As private citizens, he and Rosalynn supported integration as early as the 1950s and believed it inevitable. Carter refused to join the White Citizens Council in Plains and spoke out in his Baptist church against denying Black people access to worship services. “This is not my house; this is not your house,” he said in a churchwide meeting, reminding fellow parishioners their sanctuary belonged to God. Yet as the appointed chairman of Sumter County schools he never pushed to desegregate, thinking it impractical after the Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v. Board decision. And while presidential candidate Carter would hail the 1965 Voting Rights Act, signed by fellow Democrat Lyndon Johnson when Carter was a state senator, there is no record of Carter publicly supporting it at the time. Carter overcame a ballot-stuffing opponent to win his legislative seat, then lost the 1966 governor’s race to an arch-segregationist. He won four years later by avoiding explicit mentions of race and campaigning to the right of his rival, who he mocked as “Cufflinks Carl” — the insult of an ascendant politician who never saw himself as part the establishment. Carter’s rural and small-town coalition in 1970 would match any victorious Republican electoral map in 2024. Once elected, though, Carter shocked his white conservative supporters — and landed on the cover of Time magazine — by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” Before making the jump to Washington, Carter befriended the family of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., whom he’d never sought out as he eyed the governor’s office. Carter lamented his foot-dragging on school integration as a “mistake.” But he also met, conspicuously, with Alabama’s segregationist Gov. George Wallace to accept his primary rival’s endorsement ahead of the 1976 Democratic convention. “He very shrewdly took advantage of his own Southerness,” said Amber Roessner, a University of Tennessee professor and expert on Carter’s campaigns. A coalition of Black voters and white moderate Democrats ultimately made Carter the last Democratic presidential nominee to sweep the Deep South. Then, just as he did in Georgia, he used his power in office to appoint more non-whites than all his predecessors had, combined. He once acknowledged “the secret shame” of white Americans who didn’t fight segregation. But he also told Alter that doing more would have sacrificed his political viability – and thus everything he accomplished in office and after. King’s daughter, Bernice King, described Carter as wisely “strategic” in winning higher offices to enact change. “He was a leader of conscience,” she said in an interview. Rosalynn Carter, who at the age of 96, was identified by both husband and wife as the “more political” of the pair; she sat in on Cabinet meetings and urged him to postpone certain priorities, like pressing the Senate to relinquish control of the Panama Canal. “Let that go until the second term,” she would sometimes say. The president, recalled her former aide Kathy Cade, retorted that he was “going to do what’s right” even if “it might cut short the time I have.” Rosalynn held firm, Cade said: “She’d remind him you have to win to govern.” Carter also was the first president to appoint multiple women as Cabinet officers. Yet by his own telling, his career sprouted from chauvinism in the Carters’ early marriage: He did not consult Rosalynn when deciding to move back to Plains in 1953 or before launching his state Senate bid a decade later. Many years later, he called it “inconceivable” that he didn’t confer with the woman he described as his “full partner,” at home, in government and at The Carter Center. “We developed a partnership when we were working in the farm supply business, and it continued when Jimmy got involved in politics,” Rosalynn Carter told AP in 2021. So deep was their trust that when Carter remained tethered to the White House in 1980 as 52 Americans were held hostage in Tehran, it was Rosalynn who campaigned on her husband’s behalf. “I just loved it,” she said, despite the bitterness of defeat. Fair or not, the label of a disastrous presidency had leading Democrats keep their distance, at least publicly, for many years, but Carter managed to remain relevant, writing books and weighing in on societal challenges. He lamented widening wealth gaps and the influence of money in politics. He voted for democratic socialist Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton in 2016, and later declared that America had devolved from fully functioning democracy to “oligarchy.” Yet looking ahead to 2020, with Sanders running again, Carter warned Democrats not to lest they help re-elect President Donald Trump. Carter scolded the Republican for his serial lies and threats to democracy, and chided the U.S. establishment for misunderstanding Trump’s populist appeal. He delighted in yearly convocations with Emory University freshmen, often asking them to guess how much he’d raised in his two general election campaigns. “Zero,” he’d gesture with a smile, explaining the public financing system candidates now avoid so they can raise billions. Carter still remained quite practical in partnering with wealthy corporations and foundations to advance Carter Center programs. Carter recognized that economic woes and the Iran crisis doomed his presidency, but offered no apologies for appointing Paul Volcker as the Federal Reserve chairman whose interest rate hikes would not curb inflation until Reagan’s presidency. He was proud of getting all the hostages home without starting a shooting war, even though Tehran would not free them until Reagan’s Inauguration Day. “Carter didn’t look at it” as a failure, Alter emphasized. “He said, ‘They came home safely.’ And that’s what he wanted.” Well into their 90s, the Carters greeted visitors at Plains’ Maranatha Baptist Church, where he taught Sunday School and where he will have his last funeral before being buried on . Carter, who made the congregation’s collection plates in his woodworking shop, still garnered headlines there, calling for women’s rights within religious institutions, many of which, he said, “subjugate” women in church and society. Carter was not one to dwell on regrets. “I am at peace with the accomplishments, regret the unrealized goals and utilize my former political position to enhance everything we do,” he wrote around his 90th birthday. The politician who had supposedly hated Washington politics also enjoyed hosting Democratic presidential contenders as again. Carter sat with Buttigieg for the final time March 1, 2020, hours before the Indiana mayor ended his campaign and endorsed eventual winner Joe Biden. “He asked me how I thought the campaign was going,” Buttigieg said, recalling that Carter flashed his signature grin and nodded along as the young candidate, born a year after Carter left office, “put the best face” on the walloping he endured the day before in South Carolina. Never breaking his smile, the 95-year-old host fired back, “I think you ought to drop out.” “So matter of fact,” Buttigieg said with a laugh. “It was somehow encouraging.” Carter had lived enough, won plenty and lost enough to take the long view. “He talked a lot about coming from nowhere,” Buttigieg said, not just to attain the presidency but to leverage “all of the instruments you have in life” and “make the world more peaceful.” In his farewell address as president, Carter said as much to the country that had embraced and rejected him. “The struggle for human rights overrides all differences of color, nation or language,” he declared. “Those who hunger for freedom, who thirst for human dignity and who suffer for the sake of justice — they are the patriots of this cause.” Carter pledged to remain engaged with and for them as he returned “home to the South where I was born and raised,” home to Plains, where that young lieutenant had indeed become “a fellow citizen of the world.” —-
Pollies, peace deals, and the unravelling of a billionaire: The WA civil court rows that dominated 2024The Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana ( AB-PMJAY ) has reduced the cancer patients' financial burden significantly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday. Modi highlighted the achievements made in the fight against malaria and cancer in the 117th episode of his ' Mann Ki Baat '. He said the success on this front has attracted the attention of the world today. ET Year-end Special Reads What kept India's stock market investors on toes in 2024? India's car race: How far EVs went in 2024 Investing in 2025: Six wealth management trends to watch out for On the fight against cancer, the prime minister talked about a study by Medical Journal Lancet according to which the chances of starting cancer treatment in time in India have increased significantly. Modi also emphasised the role of the Ayushman Bharat Yojana in ensuring timely treatment of cancer patients, within 30 days. "Because of this scheme, 90 percent of cancer patients have been able to start their treatment on time. This has happened because earlier, due to lack of money, poor patients used to shy away from getting tested for cancer and its treatment. Now, the Ayushman Bharat Yojana has become a big support for them. Now they are coming forward to get themselves treated," he said. "The Ayushman Bharat Yojana has reduced the financial problems in cancer treatment to a great extent," he stated. 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"Even at the time of Independence, it was one of our biggest health challenges. Malaria ranks third among all infectious diseases that kill children between one month and five years of age. Today, I can say with satisfaction that the countrymen have collectively, strongly fought this challenge," he said in the radio broadcast. He highlighted the report of the World Health Organization (WHO) which mentions, "In India, there has been an 80 percent reduction in the number of malaria cases and deaths due to it between 2015 and 2023." Underscoring that this success has been achieved through everyone's participation, the prime minister especially mentioned the contribution of tea garden dwellers of Jorhat in Assam and the people of the Kurukshetra district of Haryana for taking the war against malaria more vigorously. "In the tea gardens of Jorhat in Assam, malaria used to be a major cause of concern for people until four years ago. But when the tea garden dwellers united to eradicate it, they started getting success to a great extent. In this effort, they have made full use of technology as well as social media," he said. "Similarly, the Kurukshetra district of Haryana has presented a very good model for controlling malaria. Here, public participation for monitoring Malaria has been quite successful. Through street plays and radio, emphasis was laid on messages which helped a lot in reducing the breeding of mosquitoes", he further stated. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
Ukrainian newcomers will soon have two new places to call home in Guelph and Wellington County. Volunteer group Waterloo Region Grassroots Response to the Ukrainian Crisis has announced it is ready to open two new Ukrainian Guest houses in Guelph and Elora later this month – its first locations in both areas. Grassroots founder Stephanie Goertz said the homes are used to house Ukrainian newcomers who aren’t considered refugees and don’t receive as much support from the federal government. “The benefit of our houses is they not only provide an opportunity for people who really have a lack of money to rent their own or can’t find a landlord willing to rent to them because they don’t have a job or a credit history, it really allows these newcomers to build the social connections to need to be much more successful in Canada,” said Goertz in an interview. Grassroots’ newest property in Guelph/Eramosa was found thanks to a connection from the Rotary Club, which had a member with property available that he wanted to offer the group to “help and support displaced Ukrainians.” The location is set to open in the next couple of weeks as it needs “a couple of small renovations” including painting and new flooring. Located five minutes south of Elora, Goertz said the owners of the Centre Wellington property reached out to them after seeing a press release online several months ago and since their tenant was moving out decided they wanted to “use their property to help others.” “We are always seeking out landlords and property owners that have properties available,” said Goertz. “And the property owners themselves want to give back. They want to help newcomers, and they want to work with us in a collaborative way. So we’re always looking for those landlords.” The group is currently working to get its Elora location ready for a family with a mother, teenage daughter and dog, who are set to arrive later this week. As some of the other houses couldn’t support a family with a pet, Goertz said the Elora property came at “the perfect time” as the group has been working for the last two weeks to figure out where to settle this family. “Right now, the house is completely empty- we’re still getting in and cleaning,” said Goetz. “But over the next day or two, we’ll have everyone setting up the house with dishes, bedding, towels, soap, hygiene items and all that stuff for the welcome.” Outside of housing, Goertz said one of the best ways to support the group is through employment opportunities. The group is currently looking to connect with employers in Guelph or Elora that might have a job for one of their newcomers. “Right now we are desperately calling as many as possible this week to find companies who would be willing to talk with us about hiring Ukrainian newcomers,” said Goertz. “We would love to, in the next week, find at least two or three companies and then connect them with the people that need employment so that when we move those people into the house,...they have everything they need and then it gets them on their feet.” Grassroots is also currently looking for financial support as it’s anticipated more newcomers will be directed their way once government support is cut off in March. 2025 and they want to continue helping new families and providing their existing support beyond the deadline. “Our operational budget is quite extensive. So, yes, we want to keep expanding. Yes, want to keep helping people, but we need the financial support because if we don’t get the financial support, then we close,” said Goertz. “And right now we can’t really close because there’s no other groups that are really doing what we’re doing for Ukrainian newcomers.” This help continues to be important for newcomers like Lyudmila Chentsova, who arrived in Roseville last spring with her sons after connecting with a host family through Grassroots- passport in hand, two weeks before her flight to Canada was planned. Since arriving in Canada, Chentsova has found employment and reunited with her husband in Canada thanks to Grassroots and continues to volunteer with the group in the hopes she can be “useful” to the community. “I was so happy when I heard from Grassroots,” said Chentsova. “This has been a big help for me and for my family.” Any donations and/or inquiries should be directed towards Grassroots’ website: https://www.wrgrassrootsresponse.ca/ Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.Worried about paying for those Christmas gifts? Try the lottery for loot