STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- For most employees, company-backed retirement plans and affordable health insurance are perks that come with full-time work. But according to a new report by The Penny Hoarder -- a personal finance brand whose purpose is to help people make smart money decisions -- there are several big-box brands that offer generous benefit packages for their hourly part-time employees. Here’s a look at 10 companies that offer a healthy benefits package -- even for employees with flexible part-time roles -- as reported by PennyHoarder.com: 1. Costco Hourly part-time employees who work at least 24 hours per week can receive benefits from Costco once they’ve accumulated 60 days of service. Health-care coverage includes medical, vision, prescription drugs and core dental benefits. All hourly employees working at least 10 hours per week can also enroll in voluntary short-term disability insurance, which provides tax-free income replacement in the event of a non-work-related accident or illness. 2. Lowe’s Part-time employees at Lowe’s are immediately eligible for medical benefits, including prescription drugs, short-term disability, life insurance and dental and vision coverage. After one year, Lowe’s offers an employee stock purchase option to its part-time workers, as well as a 401(k) after 180 days. Eligible family members can also opt-in for group medical, dental and vision coverage and dependent life insurance. 3. Staples Staples offers its part-time associates access to dental and vision coverage, life, dependent life, accidental death and short-term disability insurance coverage. They’re also eligible for the company’s 401(k) plan. Staples also offers a 10% employee discount on online or retail items, adoption assistance and its own confidential employee counseling program. 4. Starbucks Starbucks is well-known for its benefits program for part-time employees. To be eligible, employees must work at least 240 hours over three consecutive months, then continue to average 20 hours per week. Health coverage offered by Starbucks includes routine medical visits and hospitalization along with dental, vision and life insurance coverage, as well as fertility benefits. After 90 days, employees can opt-in to Starbucks’ 401(k) plan. 5. UPS Part-time employees who work between 225 and 400 hours at UPS within a three-month period are eligible for medical and dental coverage, vision insurance, hearing, prescription drugs and an employee assistance program. Part-time employees who exceed 400 hours over three months are eligible for the same benefits as full-time employees. 6. Trader Joe’s After three months and working an average of 30 hours per week, Trader Joe’s “crew members” are eligible for medical, dental and vision coverage at a cost as low as $25 per month. Other employee benefits include a 20% store discount , scholarship programs, store tastings, employee assistance programs and paid relocation and transfers. 7. Chipotle All hourly crew members at Chipotle are eligible for its robust benefits package that includes medical, vision and dental insurance, as well as a 401(k) match after one year of employment. Part-time employees also receive a salary percentage-based bonus, mental health assistance, education assistance up to $5,250 annually, a stock purchase plan, gym membership discounts and one free meal per shift. 8. USPS The United States Postal Service hires career and non-career (temporary/seasonal) workers. Part-time career workers are eligible for its benefits package, which includes the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program -- a plan in which the federal government pays two-thirds of the health insurance premiums for employees and retirees. It also offers federal group life insurance (FGLI), and federally backed long-term care, dental and vision and a flex spending account. The USPS retirement system, also available for part-time career workers, offers a fixed annuity based on years of service, a defined contribution 401(k) THRIFT Savings Plan with a 5% employer match and Social Security. 9. Walmart RECOMMENDED • silive .com NYC opens affordable waterfront housing lottery at Lighthouse Point: Here’s how to apply Nov. 19, 2024, 8:21 a.m. New York’s home health care is changing: Here’s Gov. Hochul’s plan and a breakdown of what you need to know Nov. 21, 2024, 4:06 p.m. Part-time and temporary associates at Walmart who work an average of at least 30 hours per week over a 60-day period are eligible for benefits. These include medical, dental and vision, as well as a 6% 401(k) match after one year and a 10% in-store discount. 10. Home Depot Part-time employees at the home improvement retailer are eligible for dental and vision plans, short-term disability and life insurance.
Getting whipped by a downtrodden Oklahoma squad came back to haunt Alabama. So did a historic loss to Vanderbilt. That's because the Crimson Tide (9-3) were passed over for the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff when the selections were announced on Sunday. Alabama appeared in good shape to make the playoffs until visiting the Sooners and losing 24-3 on Nov. 23. Oklahoma finished the regular season with a 6-6 mark. SMU (11-2) earned the final at-large spot despite losing to Clemson 34-31 in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game on Saturday night. "I think it's the right decision," Mustangs coach Rhett Lashlee told CBS Sports said. "... We didn't ever have a bad loss." Selection committee chairman Warde Manuel said it was a tough choice to take the Mustangs over the Crimson Tide. "We looked at the number of wins Alabama had against ranked opponents," Manuel, the Michigan athletic director, told ESPN. "We looked at SMU's schedule and they were undefeated in conference. Their losses were to ranked teams. "We also looked at Alabama's losses to unranked teams. It was quite a debate. We value strength of schedule and that's why Alabama as a three-loss team is ranked ahead of teams that have two losses." SMU's loss to then-No. 17 Clemson came on a last-second field goal in Saturday night's Atlantic Coast Conference title game. The Mustangs also lost 18-15 at BYU on Sept. 6. SMU beat then-No. 22 Louisville on the road and then-No. 18 Pitt in Dallas. "Losing on a last-second field goal ... we felt SMU still had the nod over Alabama," Manuel said of the Mustangs' loss to Clemson. "... It's just looking at the entire body of work over both teams." Alabama's other two losses included the shocking 40-35 stumble at Vanderbilt on Oct. 5 that marked the Commodores' first-ever win over a No. 1-ranked team. The Crimson Tide also lost 24-17 to then-No. 11 Tennessee on Oct. 19. The Crimson Tide posted three ranked victories, beating then-No. 2 Georgia, then-No. 21 Missouri and then-No. 15 LSU. Alabama will face Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa on Dec. 31. It is a rematch from last season when the Wolverines defeated the Crimson Tide 27-20 in the College Football Playoff semifinal game at the Rose Bowl. The second team out was No. 13 Miami (10-2), which saw its chances plummet by losing two of its last three regular-season games. The Hurricanes, who started 9-0, lost 28-23 to host Georgia Tech on Nov. 9 and completed the regular season with a 42-38 road loss against Syracuse. Miami didn't play a Top 25 team this season. Instead of navigating the playoff field, Miami will face No. 18 Iowa State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando on Dec. 28. "Everyone that doesn't get in feels disappointment," Miami coach Mario Cristobal said of being passed over. "We will have the onus of just doing better. Go forward and have the opportunity to get better. ... "We have a ton to play for and we'll thankful for the opportunity." SMU plays No. 6 Penn State in its first-round playoff game on Nov. 21. "We're excited about the challenge and the opportunity to prove that the committee made the right decision," Lashlee said. --Field Level MediaF or a reporter, it is always exciting and challenging to cover elections. There is plenty of ground to traverse, people to talk to, clues to pick up on, issues to report, and interviews to conduct. Reporting also involves observations and listening — for instance, to chatter in various places, such as tea stalls and village kattas (where people gather for conversions) — to gauge the mood. Before the recent Maharashtra Assembly elections , I heard diverse voices and issues across constituencies. Farmers spoke about crop losses, loan waivers, and Minimum Support Price. Young voters said they were frustrated about the job situation. Women spoke about inflation. In urban pockets, religious and caste polarisation, infrastructure issues, and the popularity of a few leaders dominated conversations. But to predict an outcome is a different game altogether. Yet, the inevitable question that journalists face from colleagues, family, friends, acquaintances, and even leaders during elections is “Who is going to win?” Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: CSDS-Lokniti Survey Women sided with Mahayuti for Ladki Bahin Yojana’s monthly dole Mahayuti reaps the benefits of Centre’s schemes for farmers Digital and door-to-door campaigns, along with late deciders, shaped outcomes Amid weak execution, welfare may not have influenced Maharashtra vote At some point during this election, this became a common conversation starter as though reporters are privy to some secret knowledge about the numbers game. As voting day approached, the question was posed as a challenge — a friend even said, “If you are covering the polls, you should know the outcome, right?” I had some unhelpful stock replies: “Let’s wait and see” or “It is a tough fight”. None of this is surprising, especially since TV journalists often wade into the tricky waters of election forecasting. When people pose this question, the (wrong) assumption is that journalists are not the chroniclers, but architects of history. But with experience, I have learned to refrain from getting too entangled in the arithmetic of polls or predicting outcomes; that unenviable job is best left to political pundits. A seasoned journalist once told me, “In political journalism, the wind blows where it pleases. Our job is just to catch its scent.” While we managed to catch the scent — a broad spectrum of people, including women in rural areas, seemed to favour the Mahayuti alliance — predicting the scale of victory was trickier. It is safe to say that few imagined the scale of the Mahayuti’s victory. This was the case during the 2024 Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections too. Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSR Congress Party won merely 11 seats out of 175, leaving many journalists and analysts stunned and scrambling to explain the extent of his defeat. The BJP got a historic mandate in Maharashtra with 132 seats , exactly 10 more than what the party had secured a decade ago. I heaved a sigh of relief for surviving another election cycle without sticking my neck out too far. But predictably, the question shifted and people began to ask, “Who is going to be the Chief Minister?” This is a relatively simpler question to tackle. In Maharashtra, the political grapevine had been buzzing for days and the name of one leader was floating about. But it is necessary to be cautious in this regard too, as politics always throws up surprises. In Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, for instance, leaders who were not in the race were suddenly sworn in as Chief Minister. Again, I did not commit to an answer. Related Stories Devendra Fadnavis back as Maharashtra CM, ‘to work together’ with deputies Eknath Shinde, Ajit Pawar Suspense prevailed before Shinde finally took oath as Deputy CM of Maharashtra Ajit Pawar breaks records as deputy CM, but his long quest for the top job remains unfulfilled This is not to say that there is no temptation to predict the outcome or reply with some confidence. But doing so or reporting certain events and statements too early can backfire, especially in a profession where credibility is currency. As my editor says, “It is not about breaking news; it is about breaking it right.” As the dust settles on another election, I know that it is okay to not answer some questions. Reporters are not here to speculate or foresee the outcome. We are here to report stories that matter the most to the people, to provide a balanced view of the political climate, and to catch the scent as it were. deshpande.abhinay@thehindu.co.in Published - December 06, 2024 02:45 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit election / political campaigns
BUDAPEST - World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said on Nov 22 the new Ultimate Championship team event, officially unveiled by the sport’s governing body, would be a “gamechanger” for track and field. The inaugural event will be held in Budapest on Sept 11-13, 2026, and it will be staged every two years to fulfil World Athletics’ ambition of holding a global championship every year. The federation said the event would provide “a spectacular conclusion to the summer athletics season, in the years where there is no World Athletics Championships”. The event boasts a “record-setting” prize pot of US$10 million (S$13 million). World Athletics said it was “the largest ever offered in track and field”, with champions set to receive US$150,000. Each session will last three hours and athletes will represent both themselves and their national teams, wearing national kit. Coe, who gave a press conference at the stadium in the Hungarian capital where the 2023 World Championships were held, said: “This new global event will be a gamechanger for our sport and for our athletes. “We want to bring our fans athletics like they have never seen it before – with the best of the best athletes in our sport competing head-to-head in a passion-fuelled, high octane, festival of sport, with sound, light and innovation.” Coe said he was aiming to create a “world-beating” event that could “draw in viewers who might never have watched athletics”. “This is the holy grail of all sports - how do you reach out to all audiences in a way that is familiar to them?“ he told AFP in an interview. The announcement comes after former Olympic sprint champion Michael Johnson unveiled details of his four-meet Grand Slam Track series, which makes its debut next year with three-day events in Kingston, Jamaica, Miami, Philadelphia and Los Angeles. Johnson’s series is widely seen as a challenge to the established Diamond League circuit of meets as the sport of athletics fights for the limelight outside of the Olympics and world championships. The Ultimate Championship, which unlike Grand Slam Track will also feature field events, will take place after the Diamond League finals. In another difference between Grand Slam Track and the Ultimate Championship, World Athletics already have a broadcast partner for their event - Tata Communications and Host Broadcast Services (HBS). Coe said the aim was to have a “free-to-air” event that would be seen by the biggest audience possible, adding: “It’s all up there for discussion.” Grand Slam Track, meanwhile, is yet to announce a broadcasting deal, with Johnson insisting he is still trying to find the right partner. In the Ultimate Championship in Budapest, almost 400 athletes will battle to become “ultimate champions”, with clashes including the 100m, 800m, pole vault, high jump and a new 4x100m mixed relay. World Athletics chief executive officer Jon Ridgeon said the new event coupled with the launch of Grand Slam Track showed that “athletics is in a positive growth phase at the moment”. World pole vault record holder and two-time Olympic champion Mondo Duplantis said the event would be “insane”. “The new Ultimate Championship in 2026 will be the ultimate high in a year when we do not have a World Championships or Olympic Games,” the Swede said. “Nothing beats competing in front of a live crowd. Anyone that knows me or has watched me compete knows this is where I thrive. “Even with fewer events there will still be 26 individual events taking place over just three nights - the pace will be insane.” AFP
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Outgoing Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Krekorian will serve as executive director of the Office of Major Events as part of preparations for sporting events coming to the LA region in the coming years, officials announced Thursday. According to Mayor Karen Bass’ office, the councilman will take on this role on Monday after Krekorian formally steps down from his role as the representative of the Second Council District due to term limits. Councilmember-elect Adrian Nazarian, a former aide to Krekorian and state Assembly member, will serve as the district representative, spanning east San Fernando Valley neighborhoods such as North Hollywood, Sun Valley, Toluca Lake and Valley Glen, among others. In his new position, Krekorian will coordinate city departments and external stakeholders for the upcoming 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games , eight games of the 2026 World Cup , and a Super Bowl in 2027 , among other events. “President Krekorian is uniquely positioned to do just that — drawing on his decades of experience handling local and statewide budgets and firsthand institutional knowledge of city government as well as the Olympic bid process,” Bass said in a statement. “Today marks a new phase of urgent preparations for Los Angeles.” The 64-year-old politician served as a state Assembly member from 2006 to 2010. Krekorian joined the City Council in 2010. “As I conclude my service on the City Council, I know how much more work needs to be done ahead of the 2028 Games,” Krekorian said in a statement. Krekorian described it would be an honor to serve as the executive director for this office. He added, “I look forward to hitting the ground running and partnering with Mayor Bass, the City Council, our city departments and LA28 to deliver the 2028 Games in a way that benefits everyone.” As executive director of the Office of Major Events, he will also ensure that sporting events create positive economic impacts for local businesses, and that city policies are being implemented. LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover hailed Bass’ appointment. He described Krekorian as a “longtime advocate of the Olympic and Paralympic movement.” “His (Krekorian’s) dedication and leadership will undoubtedly continue to drive excellence in his new role ... in this next chapter of our journey to deliver an incredible Olympic Games in 2028,” Hoover said in a statement.
NoneATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” the center said in posting about his death on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors . He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners . He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. His mother, Lillian , would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year he married Rosalynn Smith, another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. His decision angered Rosalynn, even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox — and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. And in 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided, as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were no more talented than he was. In 1974, he ran Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy for 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. Walter “Fritz” Mondale as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and nonwhite people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015 . “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” Former Associated Press journalist Alex Sanz contributed to this report.
It's been nothing short of a banner year for Wall Street and investors. As of the closing bell on Dec. 5, the ageless Dow Jones Industrial Average ( ^DJI -0.28% ) , benchmark S&P 500 ( ^GSPC 0.25% ) , and growth-centric Nasdaq Composite ( ^IXIC 0.81% ) have respectively gained 19%, 27%, and 31% year to date. Wall Street's two-year bull market has been fueled by a number of catalysts. For instance, the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution may provide a leap forward in growth potential for businesses. Additionally, operating results for Wall Street's most influential businesses have, for the most part, been better than anticipated. But the latest catalyst for the stock market is arguably the most eyebrow-raising: President-elect Donald Trump's November victory . Trump's return to the White House for a nonconsecutive second term in January will very likely pave the way for less stringent banking regulations, more merger and acquisition activity, and possibly a 29% reduction in the corporate income tax rate for domestic manufacturers . The proposals laid out by the former (and incoming) president are undeniably investor-friendly. Unfortunately, history offers an ominous warning for Wall Street and the stock market as Donald Trump prepares to take office in just over six weeks. Republican presidents and recessions go hand in hand Let me preface the following discussion with an important caveat: There is no such thing as a guaranteed forecasting tool on Wall Street. Although some events, metrics, and predictive data points have an uncanny history of accuracy, there's no concrete guarantee of anything occurring in the stock market. With that said, history shows an exceptionally strong correlation between Republican presidents in the White House and U.S. recessions . Over the last 111 years, there have been 10 Republicans in the Oval Office and nine Democrats. Four of the nine Democrats to hold America's highest office did not oversee a recession that began under their tenure (key phrase!). This figure makes the logical assumption that President Joe Biden won't see a recession declared during his final six weeks in office, which would make him the fourth Democratic president to avoid a recession. On the other end of the spectrum, Republican presidents have overseen 13 recessions since 1913, with every single GOP chief contending with a recession during their tenure. Donald Trump was the latest addition to this lengthy list due to the COVID-19 pandemic-driven recession. While nothing is guaranteed, every Republican president for more than a century overseeing a recession is a worrisome correlation for Wall Street. Even though stocks and the U.S. economy aren't tethered at the hip, economic contractions would be expected to adversely impact corporate earnings. What's more, a study from Bank of America Global Research found that, between 1927 and March 2023, two-thirds of peak-to-trough drawdowns in the S&P 500 occurred during, not prior to, recessions being declared. In plainer English, stocks perform poorly when recessions occur. Ominous warnings are mounting for the U.S. economy and stock market As Donald Trump readies to take office for his second term, he's going to inherit a challenging set of circumstances. While the Dow Jones, S&P 500, and Nasdaq Composite have all galloped to multiple record-closing highs in the wake of Election Day, ominous warnings for the U.S. economy and Wall Street are beginning to mount. US M2 Money Supply data by YCharts . For example, in 2023, U.S. M2 money supply endured its biggest year-over-year decline since the Great Depression . There have been only four periods prior to last year when M2 money supply fell by at least 2% on a year-over-year basis -- 1878, 1893, 1921, and 1931-1933 -- and they all correlate with periods of economic depression and double-digit unemployment. Though a depression is highly unlikely in modern times, thanks to the tools the Federal Reserve and federal government have at their disposal, a notable drop in M2 does suggest that consumers may make fewer discretionary purchases, which is an ingredient for a recession. Another source of concern is the longest yield-curve inversion on record between the three-month Treasury bill and the 10-year Treasury bond. Normally, the yield curve slopes up and to the right, with yields increasing the longer your money is tied up in an interest-bearing asset. But when investors are worried about the economic outlook, the yield curve can invert, with short-term T-bills sporting higher yields than T-bonds. Although an inverted yield curve doesn't guarantee a recession will occur, every recession since World War II has been preceded by one. We're also witnessing clear-cut red flags from historically flawless valuation measures . S&P 500 Shiller CAPE Ratio data by YCharts . The S&P 500's Shiller price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, also referred to as the cyclically adjusted P/E ratio (CAPE ratio) , ended Dec. 5 at 38.81, well above its average reading of 17.17 when back-tested to January 1871. It also marks the third-highest reading during a continuous bull market. More importantly, the five previous instances spanning 153 years where the S&P 500's Shiller P/E topped 30 were eventually followed by declines of 20% to 89% in the S&P 500 and/or Dow Jones Industrial Average. The famed " Buffett Indicator " is pushing boundaries, too. The valuation tool Warren Buffett praised earlier this century, which divides the market value of all public companies into U.S. gross domestic product, hit a record high of 208% last week. For context, it's averaged closer to 85% since 1970. Most signs point to economic and stock market turbulence taking shape at some point during President-elect Trump's second term. History also shows that patience consistently prevails But there is a silver lining amid these short-term warnings. Specifically, history is a two-sided coin, and it tends to favor patient investors far more than short-term traders. Even though Republican presidents and recessions have gone hand-in-hand for more than 110 years, an even stronger historic correlation is the nonlinearity of the economic cycle . Since World War II came to a conclusion in September 1945, the U.S. has worked its way through a dozen recessions. Of these 12 downturns, nine were resolved in less than a year, while none of the remaining three surpassed 18 months in length. While recessions can undoubtedly be worrisome and lead to emotion-driven moves in the stock market , they're historically short-lived. On the other side of the coin, over the last 79 years, there have been two periods of growth that surpassed the 10-year mark. A majority of economic expansions are going to stick around for multiple years, which is why the U.S. economy and corporate earnings grow over long periods. It's a similar story for the stock market. Every year, the analysts at Crestmont Research update a data set that examines the rolling 20-year total returns (including dividends) of the broad-based S&P 500 since 1900. Though the S&P didn't come into existence until 1923, researchers were able to trace its components to other indexes prior to its inception -- thus, the total returns data are back-tested to 1900. What Crestmont Research found was that all 105 rolling 20-year periods , with end dates ranging from 1919 through 2023, produced a positive total return. In other words, if an investor had, hypothetically, purchased an S&P 500 tracking index at any point since 1900 and held that position for 20 years, they would have generated a profit every single time, regardless of which party controlled the White House during that timeline. Even if history rhymes, once more, during Donald Trump's second term, patient investors are well positioned for success.Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson: "We are going from strength to strength"Ariana Grande breaks silence on 'dangerous' weight loss speculation
FOODIES have been left totally divided over Aldi’s new Christmas sauce. Not only have people claimed that the much-loved chain has gone ‘too far’ with the condiment, but others have described it as ‘gross’. 2 Aldi fans have been left totally divided by the chain's latest Christmas condiment Credit: Getty 2 Whilst some thought it sounded 'amazing', others were left feeling sick by the 'vile' sauce Credit: Instagram But with just 17 days until December 25th, what do YOU think about the unique product? Every December, the supermarket releases plenty of festive treats - but some are ‘horrified’ and think this new buy could be too much. It comes after shoppers spotted Aldi’s two new festive takes on the classic Mayonnaise condiment - Cranberry Mayonnaise and Sage and Onion Stuffing Mayonnaise. Each 250g jar costs just £1.29, making it super affordable, but not everyone was keen. Read more food stories CHOC OFF Mums fume at Poundland’s ‘rotten’ advent calendar they thought was ‘for dogs’ STOCK UP Savvy mum shows 'game changer' tip that'll help you save cash on your Tesco shop According to the supermarket, the Bramwells Cranberry Mayonnaise is the "ultimate gravy alternative on Christmas Day. It offers a "creamy take on the traditional sweet and tangy sauce". Meanwhile, the Sage and Onion Stuffing mayo brings a "delicious twist on tradition". But food fans were totally divided by the unique sauces, in particular the Sage and Onion Stuffing Mayonnaise. Most read in Fabulous BOY BYE My date's secret came out after I shunned his cash-for-sex offer, now I'm boysober SPARKLE SEASON Fashion fans are gushing over the new Primark partywear range SKIN WIN I’m closer to 40 than 20 but you’d never know - I swear by a £7.99 Superdrug buy AISLE SAY My man proposed to me after 48 hours -our families think we’re delusional Bargain hunters flocked to social media to share their thoughts, after the chain shared a snap of the cheap buy on the official @ aldiuk Instagram account. The supermarket penned: “Our NEW Sage & Onion Stuffing Mayonnaise will have you switching up your Christmas traditions this year. I’m a wine pro & Aldi’s £10.99 fizz is the best Laurent Perrier champagne dupe - make sure you stock up before Christmas “Perfect for dipping your pigs in blankets into or adding EVEN MORE festive flavours to your party nibbles.” The post has quickly racked up over 6,500 likes, but foodies were seriously divided - whilst some thought the chain had gone ‘too far’, others thought it sounded ‘amazing’. Why do Aldi and Lidl have such fast checkouts IF you’ve ever shopped in Aldi or Lidl then you’ll probably have experienced its ultra-fast checkout staff. Aldi’s speedy reputation is no mistake, in fact, the supermarket claims that its tills are 40 per cent quicker than rivals. It’s all part of Aldi’s plan to be as efficient as possible - and this, the budget shop claims, helps keep costs low for shoppers. Efficient barcodes on packaging means staff are able to scan items as quickly as possible, with the majority of products having multiple barcodes to speed up the process. It also uses “shelf-ready” packaging which keeps costs low when it comes to replenishing stock. One user wrote: "Why do they have to mess about with traditional ingredients at Christmas time when they work perfectly well as they are all year?" Another commented: "Oh noooo this sounds so gross, sorry not sorry but mayo with sage AND stuffing...no no no.” Ermmm no! Not for me Instagram user Whilst a third simply said: "Vile!" Alongside sick emojis, someone else slammed: “Ermmm no! Not for me.” I’ll be buying all the jars Instagram user At the same time, many were quite keen to give the sauce a try. One Aldi fan beamed: "Ooohhh yum sage and onion!" A second chimed in: “That sounds immense.” Read more on the Scottish Sun THE FAB THREE I'm A Celeb's finalists REVEALED as last star evicted ahead of closing show AISLE BE THERE Lidl's cheeky Coca-Cola Christmas truck tour adds two more Scots spots Meanwhile, someone else penned: “Omg, this sounds amazing.” Another foodie was overjoyed and claimed: “I’ll be buying all the jars.” Aldi wine dupes WHY fork out for an expensive bottle of wine when you can virtually get the same taste, but for less? Whispering Angel, £17 Aldi dupe: Chassaux Et Fils Atlantique Rosé, £4.99. Or Aldi's Sainte Victoire Provence Rosé, £12.49. Cali Red by Snoop Dogg, £12/£13 Aldi dupe: The Reprobates Californian Red, £9.99. Dark Horse Merlot, £10 Aldi dupe: Beachfront Malbec, £6.99 Laurent Perrier Rose champagne, £80 Aldi dupe: Crémant Du Jura, £8.99 Aperol Spritz, £17 Aldi dupe: Aperini Aperitif, £6.99Bashar Assad Granted Asylum in Moscow Amid Syrian UprisingsNATO, Ukraine to hold emergency talks after Russia’s attack with new hypersonic missile