Australia’s biggest shopping centre chain is deploying more security guards and introduced vests for staff amid “heightened levels of security” across the country after the October 7 Hamas attack and Westfield Bondi Junction stabbing. Cheng Yixuan, 27, Pikria Darchia, 55, Dawn Singleton, 25, Jade Young, 47, Faraz Ahmed Tahir, 30, and Ashlee Good, 38, were killed during Joel Cauchi’s shocking two-minute frenzied attack at Westfield Bondi Junction on the afternoon of April 13. A coronial inquest into the attack will next year examine the tragic events and whether it could have been avoided after the 40-year-old pulled a hunting knife from his backpack and indiscriminately stabbed 16 people. Westfield is assisting the NSW coroner with the inquiry and a spokesperson said it would explore “potential learnings to improve security arrangements in places of mass gathering” as it grappled with a changing security landscape. In a statement, a spokesperson for the Scentre Group, which operates Westfield Australia, said the company took its duty of care to staff and customers seriously and “continuously aim to improve our security practices”. “This includes our capability, processes, and people to prepare for and respond to critical incidents. This is done in partnership with law enforcement, including police and government agencies,” the spokesperson said. “Following the horrific attack at Westfield Bondi, we further heightened our security presence across all our Westfield destinations. We have introduced additional personal protective equipment including vests for all security team members, which has enhanced the prominence and visibility of our security team.” Westfield’s security team is led by a former head of the London Metropolitan Police, or Scotland Yard, and the country’s counter-terrorism police and also includes former members of government security agencies. Westfield deployed more guards on shift following the October 7 attacks in Israel and subsequent protests, with a dedicated security team in place at each of the centres which regularly conduct safety and security drills. “Our security relies upon the engagement, collaboration, and co-operation of government law-enforcement agencies to provide safety to our customers, particularly in incidents that necessitate the use of physical force,” the spokesperson said. “We constantly assess risk ... We also continue to examine, globally, potential enhancements, including the use of emerging technologies, to further enhance and improve our security and safety procedures. “Recent examples of armed offender drills at our Westfield destinations include with NSW Police, Queensland Police, the Australian Defence Force, South Australia Police and the Australian Federal Police.” While security teams at Westfield and shopping centres across the state are often the first to respond to armed offender incidents, they are not law enforcement and report alleged offenders to police. Over the past few months, NSW Police responded to multiple alleged offences at shopping centres, including a teen charged with stealing a knife and threatening staff at an Armidale shopping centre on November 6. In September, a man was charged after allegedly pulling out a hammer during a fight at a shopping centre on the NSW Central Coast; in July, a man was arrested after allegedly wielding a sword at a Parramatta shopping centre. More than 1150 knife-related incidents were reported in public places across NSW, including retail premises and outdoor spaces, between July 2023 and June 2024, according to data from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research. That figure includes 577 knife-related non-domestic violence-related assaults and 581 robberies – which includes knives, scissors, swords, and screwdrivers – with police reporting a further 140 firearm-related incidents during the same time period. The data reveals a gradual decline in knife and firearm-related incidents in public spaces over the decade. Between July 2014 and June 2015, NSW Police reported a staggering 1511 knife-related robberies and non-DV assaults in public spaces and 389 firearm-related incidents. Between July 2018 and June 2019, those figures were 1352 and 235 respectively. In the year until June 2024, the worst-affected spaces for knife-related incidents were “all other premise type” with 582, according to the BOSCAR data. Outdoor and public spaces reported 426 and retail spaces reported 150 . NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley has been contacted for comment but did not respond before publication. A preliminary hearing into the horrific Westfield Bondi Junction incident was told last week that Cauchi had stopped taking antipsychotic medication just less than five years before the attack, having been diagnosed with schizophrenia in his teenage years. Cauchi previously lived in Toowoomba in South East Queensland where he was being managed in the public health system up until 2012; then, until 2020, he was being seen by a private psychiatrist while still in Queensland. The hearing was told Cauchi was medicated from late-2011, but his medication was gradually reduced over time until it was stopped entirely in 2019. From 2020 until the Westfield Bondi Junction attack, “there was no particular treatment”. A ”be on the lookout” flag was entered into the Queensland Police system in 2023 after Cauchi twice complained that his knives had been taken away by his father, who told officers his son was a schizophrenic who was no longer medicated. In the time leading up to the attack, Cauchi was homeless in Sydney, including living under the Maroubra Beach pavilion, with the inquest to examine his exact movements on the day of his rampage, including access to a Waterloo storage locker. The incident made a hero out of NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott, who ran towards Cauchi before ordering him to lay down the knife. When he failed to do so and advanced towards her, Inspector Scott shot Cauchi in the chest. In the wake of the attack, Inspector Scott was awarded the Commissioner’s Valour Award by NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb and was named in November as a nominee for Australian of the Year NSW in 2025. The forthcoming inquest also provides the families of victims and survivors an opportunity to share their trauma at an incident that shattered the lives of many and sent shockwaves through a country not used to mass killings. Before she died, Ms Good fought off Cauchi as he began to attack her nine-month-old daughter who was sitting in her pram. Miraculously, the infant was stabbed but survived the horrific attack. Another victim, Mr Tahir, was a security guard. His brother, Sheraz Tahir, told media outside the Lidcombe Coroners Court last week that his brother was a “brave man” who was “on duty at the time and he was just trying to stop the attacker and gave his life.” He added he “just wanted to know what happened that day” and hoped the inquest would lead to change, including “better protections for security guards”. The inquest will examine Cauchi’s contact with police in Queensland and NSW and whether there could have been early intervention. The court was told an alarm was not sounded inside the centre until a minute after Cauchi had been shot. The matter will return to court for a five-week hearing in April.
By Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of Microsoft 365 customers worldwide reported having issues with services like Outlook and Teams on Monday. In social media posts and comments on platforms like outage tracker Downdetector, some impacted said that they were having trouble seeing their emails, loading calendars or opening other Microsoft 365 applications such as Powerpoint. Microsoft acknowledged “an issue impacting users attempting to access Exchange Online or functionality within Microsoft Teams calendar” earlier in the day. In updates posted on X , the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, the company’s status page said it identified a “recent change” that it believed to be behind the problem — and was working to revert it. Microsoft shared that it was deploying a fix — which, as of shortly before noon E.T., it said had reached about 98% of “affected environments.” Still, the company’s status page later added , targeted restarts were “progressing slower than anticipated for the majority of affected users.” As of midday Monday, Downdetector showed thousands of outage reports from users of Microsoft 365 , particularly Outlook . Extra News Alerts Get breaking updates as they happen. Be civil. Be kind.Shares of American Eagle plunge 13% as company issues weak holiday guidanceLetter writers discuss the health of the U.S. economy, President Joe Biden's pardon of his son, and the constitutional limit on President-elect Donald Trump's time in office. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on X (Opens in new window) Most Popular Colonial Williamsburg’s Grand Illumination has echoes across the US Colonial Williamsburg's Grand Illumination has echoes across the US New York prosecutors charge suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing with murder, court records show New York prosecutors charge suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing with murder, court records show Cause of underground fire at Williamsburg Premium Outlets still unknown — and may stay that way, fire chief says Cause of underground fire at Williamsburg Premium Outlets still unknown — and may stay that way, fire chief says Disney influencer Dominique Brown dies at 34 after allergic reaction at food event, report says Disney influencer Dominique Brown dies at 34 after allergic reaction at food event, report says Former NFL player opens Newport News youth empowerment center Former NFL player opens Newport News youth empowerment center Chesapeake man charged after shooting at Suffolk church staff member Chesapeake man charged after shooting at Suffolk church staff member Inside Business recognizes 2024 Women in Business honorees Inside Business recognizes 2024 Women in Business honorees Well-known Virginia Tech professor Nikki Giovanni remembered as talented poet and literary celebrity Well-known Virginia Tech professor Nikki Giovanni remembered as talented poet and literary celebrity The Dome, Virginia Beach’s upcoming venue, is booking shows. Here’s what’s coming. The Dome, Virginia Beach’s upcoming venue, is booking shows. Here’s what’s coming. David Teel: An exclusive look behind the curtain at ACC headquarters on bowl selection Sunday David Teel: An exclusive look behind the curtain at ACC headquarters on bowl selection Sunday Trending Nationally Who is Luigi Mangione, arrested in connection with shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson? California’s home insurance crisis: Which Bay Area neighborhoods have lost the most coverage Tested positive for python? DNA tests will reveal where hard-to-find snakes are Traffic stops by Denver police plunge nearly 50% after new policy prohibits low-level enforcement The stars have come out at the Kennedy Center for Coppola, the Grateful Dead, Raitt and Sandoval
Real Madrid’s big stars turned on the style to revive the Spanish giant’s faltering Champions League title defense on Tuesday. Galacticos Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham all scored in a thrilling 3-2 win at Italian league leader Atalanta. But Madrid still had to ride its luck as Mateo Retegui fired over from in front of goal in stoppage time when handed a golden chance to level the game. It was only Madrid’s third win in the competition’s revamped league phase and leaves the 15-time champion in the unseeded playoff positions in 18th place. “It’s a very important win. Not everyone wins here. We suffered and competed. In the Champions League, you have to suffer,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “It’s still difficult to finish in the top eight, but we have two games left to earn points.” Six-time champion Liverpool leads the way after maintaining its perfect record in Europe this season with a 1-0 win against Girona. Like Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain also picked up a much-needed win, beating Salzburg 3-0 to sit in the last playoff spot in 24th place. Bayer Leverkusen is second after a 1-0 win over Inter Milan, while Aston Villa beat Leipzig 3-2 and is third. The top eight teams advance directly to the round of 16. Positions nine to 24 face a playoff to reach the next phase. Real response After three losses in its opening five games of the league phase, the pressure was mounting on Madrid. Questions were also being asked of Mbappe after his uncertain start since his offseason move from PSG. But he produced a moment of class to fire Madrid 1-0 up after 10 minutes at Gewiss Stadium — controlling the ball with his left foot and then finishing low with his right. It was the 25-year-old Mbappe's 50th Champions League goal . Lionel Messi is the only player to have reached that number at a younger age. Mbappe was substituted off before halftime with an apparent physical issue and Charles De Ketelaere leveled the game before the break from the penalty spot. But two goals inside three second-half minutes from Vinicius Junior and Bellingham put Madrid in control. Ademola Lookman's goal made it 3-2, but Madrid survived Retegui's late effort and held on. Salah’s landmark Mohamed Salah’s 50th Champions League goal maintained Liverpool’s perfect record in the competition this season. The Egypt forward struck a 63rd minute penalty to seal the win in Spain that kept Liverpool atop the 36-team league. But even after a sixth straight win for the Merseyside club, head coach Arne Slot was critical of his players in a game that saw goalkeeper Alisson pull off several saves to keep Girona out. “If you ask me about all the six games, I’m really pleased with all the results, I am really pleased with the five (other) games with the way we played. I’m far from pleased about the performance tonight,” he said. Salah’s goal was his 16th in 22 appearances overall this season. Girona was 30th with just one win from six games. “I almost feel sorry for them because they deserved so much more in this Champions League campaign than the three points they have until now. But we have an incredible goalkeeper,” said Slot, whose team also leads the Premier League. Liverpool’s two remaining games are against Lille at home and PSV Eindhoven away in January. U.S. international Christian Pulisic is the only player to have scored against Liverpool in this season’s Champions League in a 3-1 loss for Milan in September. Bayern rout Bayern Munich routed Shakhtar Donetsk 5-1 to move into the automatic qualifying positions for the round of 16. Michael Olise scored a wonderful solo goal by dribbling past a host of players for his first of two in the game. Bayern's win came after going 1-0 down inside five minutes to a goal from Brazilian winger Kevin. PSG fightback PSG is not done yet. A miserable start to the league phase saw the French giant pick up just four points from five games as it adjusted tp life without stars like Mbappe, Messi and Neymar, who have all departed in the past two seasons. But victory at Salzburg moved PSG up into the playoff positions. Goncalo Ramos, Nuno Mendes and Desire Doue all scored. Leverkusen rising Leverkusen is back on a roll after struggling to repeat the success of last season's stunning German league and cup double. It's now six straight wins in all competitions, with Nordi Mukiele's 90th minute goal securing victory against Inter and moving Leverkusen into second on 13 points — five behind Liverpool. Villa, Inter and Brest are all on 13 points as well. Inter dropped to fourth after conceding for the first time in this season's competition. Villa is third after its own resurgence in form. Victory against Leipzig was its third in a row after an eight-game winless run. Brest is one of this season’s surprise packages on its Champions League debut and is fifth after beating PSV Eindhoven 1-0. Sporting Lisbon, in 12th, couldn’t build on taking a third-minute lead at Club Brugge — losing 2-1 in Belgium. Brugge is 14th. Dinamo Zagreb drew 0-0 with Celtic and both teams remain in the playoff positions. ___ James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer James Robson, The Associated PressPix adds NFC scanning, device biometrics to Brazilian digital payments platform
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Age Young WisdomThe Senedd signed off on a 16 per cent budget increase, with the Welsh Parliament set to expand to accommodate an additional 36 politicians from 2026. Members voted 31-13 to approve the Senedd Commission’s £83.8m for 2025/26, which includes an extra £11.6m for the reforms, public-sector pay and infrastructure. Hefin David described next year’s spending plans for the commission – which is responsible for support services and the Senedd estate – as a transformational, step-change budget. The Caerphilly Senedd member, who is the commissioner responsible for the budget, said the 16 per cent uplift will cover a 60 per cent increase in the size of the Senedd. But the Conservatives criticised the “ballooning” costs, describing Senedd reform as the wrong priority while around one in five people in Wales are waiting for NHS treatment. Leading a debate on November 20, Dr David said the budget for the 12 months from April will address four key pressures: He said the £6.5m allocated to the reform programme includes costs for employing new staff, and reconfiguring the debating chamber and new members’ offices. Dr David told the Senedd: “In these turbulent times strengthening a democracy is often a difficult but certainly noble endeavour. “While I in no way devalue the objections of those opposed to reform, those members who have supported Senedd expansion have done so to build a stronger parliament for the people of Wales.” Janet-Finch Saunders, the Conservative Senedd commissioner, said the budget reflects significant efforts to ensure effective management of public funds. She told the Senedd that the costs compare favourably with the Scottish Parliament which is nearly £200,000 more expensive per member. But she reiterated her party’s opposition to expansion, saying: “We still believe that these resources would be better allocated to essential public services, such as health care, education, our road infrastructure, social services – I could go on.” Ms Finch-Saunders told the chamber that she had been inundated with messages from members of the public calling for a referendum of expansion.ANOKA, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 25, 2024-- Vista Outdoor Inc. (“Vista Outdoor”, the “Company”) (NYSE: VSTO) today announced that its stockholders voted to approve the sale of The Kinetic Group to Czechoslovak Group a.s. (“CSG”) (the “CSG Transaction”) at its special meeting of stockholders held earlier today. Vista Outdoor and CSG have received all regulatory approvals required under the merger agreement for the CSG Transaction and intend to close the CSG Transaction on November 27, 2024. Under the terms of the CSG Transaction, Vista Outdoor stockholders will receive $25.75 in cash and one share of Revelyst common stock for each share of Vista Outdoor common stock they hold. “We are thrilled to have received overwhelming support from our stockholders for the compelling transaction with CSG,” said Michael Callahan, Chairman of the Vista Outdoor Board of Directors. “The CSG transaction maximizes value for our stockholders, while also providing an ideal home for our leading ammunition brands and significant opportunities for our employees.” Based on the vote count from the special meeting of stockholders, approximately 97.89% of votes cast were in favor of the CSG Transaction, representing approximately 82.57% of all outstanding shares. The final voting results will be reported in a Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Following the closing of the CSG Transaction, Revelyst will begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker “GEAR”. Subject to the receipt of necessary regulatory approvals and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions, funds managed by Strategic Value Partners, LLC (“SVP”) will subsequently acquire Revelyst in an all-cash transaction based on an enterprise value of $1.125 billion (the “SVP Transaction”), subject to a net cash adjustment. At the closing of the SVP Transaction, Revelyst stockholders will receive an estimated $19.25 in cash per share of Revelyst common stock 1. The SVP Transaction is on track to close by January 2025. No separate approval of the SVP Transaction by Vista Outdoor stockholders is required. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC is acting as sole financial adviser to Vista Outdoor and Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP is acting as legal adviser to Vista Outdoor. Moelis & Company LLC is acting as sole financial adviser to the independent directors of Vista Outdoor and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is acting as legal adviser to the independent directors of Vista Outdoor. About Vista Outdoor Inc. Vista Outdoor (NYSE: VSTO) is the parent company of more than three dozen renowned brands that design, manufacture and market sporting and outdoor products. Brands include Bushnell, CamelBak, Bushnell Golf, Foresight Sports, Fox Racing, Bell Helmets, Camp Chef, Giro, Simms Fishing, QuietKat, Stone Glacier, Federal Ammunition, Remington Ammunition and more. Our reporting segments, Outdoor Products and Sporting Products, provide consumers with a wide range of performance-driven, high-quality and innovative outdoor and sporting products. For news and information, visit our website at www.vistaoutdoor.com Forward-Looking Statements Some of the statements made and information contained in this press release, excluding historical information, are “forward-looking statements,” including those that discuss, among other things: Vista Outdoor Inc.’s (“Vista Outdoor”, “we”, “us” or “our”) plans, objectives, expectations, intentions, strategies, goals, outlook or other non-historical matters; projections with respect to future revenues, income, earnings per share or other financial measures for Vista Outdoor; and the assumptions that underlie these matters. The words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “aim,” “should” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. To the extent that any such information is forward-looking, it is intended to fit within the safe harbor for forward-looking information provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors could cause our actual results to differ materially from the expectations described in such forward-looking statements, including the following: risks related to the previously announced transaction among Vista Outdoor, Revelyst, Inc., CSG Elevate II Inc., CSG Elevate III Inc. and CZECHOSLOVAK GROUP a.s. (the “CSG Transaction”) and risks related to the previously announced transaction among Vista Outdoor, Revelyst, Olibre LLC and Cabin Ridge, Inc. (the “SVP Transaction”) including (i) the possibility that any or all of the various conditions to the consummation of the CSG Transaction or the SVP Transaction may not be satisfied or waived, including the failure to receive any required regulatory approvals from any applicable governmental entities (or any conditions, limitations or restrictions placed on such approvals), (ii) the possibility that competing offers or acquisition proposals may be made, (iii) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement relating to the CSG Transaction or the SVP Transaction, including in circumstances which would require Vista Outdoor or Revelyst, as applicable, to pay a termination fee, (iv) the effect of the announcement or pendency of the CSG Transaction or the SVP Transaction on our ability to attract, motivate or retain key executives and employees, our ability to maintain relationships with our customers, vendors, service providers and others with whom we do business, or our operating results and business generally, (v) risks related to the CSG Transaction or the SVP Transaction diverting management’s attention from our ongoing business operations, (vi) that the CSG Transaction or the SVP Transaction may not achieve some or all of any anticipated benefits with respect to either business segment and that the CSG Transaction or the SVP Transaction may not be completed in accordance with our expected plans or anticipated timelines, or at all, and (vii) that the consideration paid to Revelyst stockholders in connection with the SVP Transaction cannot be determined until the consummation of the SVP Transaction as it is subject to certain adjustments related to the net cash of Revelyst as of the closing of the SVP Transaction and the management team’s current estimate of the consideration may be higher or lower than the actual consideration paid to Revelyst stockholders in connection with the SVP Transaction due to the actual cash flows prior to the closing of the SVP Transaction or other factors; impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic on our operations, the operations of our customers and suppliers and general economic conditions; supplier capacity constraints, production or shipping disruptions or quality or price issues affecting our operating costs; the supply, availability and costs of raw materials and components; increases in commodity, energy, and production costs; seasonality and weather conditions; our ability to complete acquisitions, realize expected benefits from acquisitions and integrate acquired businesses; reductions in or unexpected changes in or our inability to accurately forecast demand for ammunition, accessories, or other outdoor sports and recreation products; disruption in the service or significant increase in the cost of our primary delivery and shipping services for our products and components or a significant disruption at shipping ports; risks associated with diversification into new international and commercial markets, including regulatory compliance; our ability to take advantage of growth opportunities in international and commercial markets; our ability to obtain and maintain licenses to third-party technology; our ability to attract and retain key personnel; disruptions caused by catastrophic events; risks associated with our sales to significant retail customers, including unexpected cancellations, delays, and other changes to purchase orders; our competitive environment; our ability to adapt our products to changes in technology, the marketplace and customer preferences, including our ability to respond to shifting preferences of the end consumer from brick and mortar retail to online retail; our ability to maintain and enhance brand recognition and reputation; our association with the firearms industry, others’ use of social media to disseminate negative commentary about us, our products, and boycotts; the outcome of contingencies, including with respect to litigation and other proceedings relating to intellectual property, product liability, warranty liability, personal injury, and environmental remediation; our ability to comply with extensive federal, state and international laws, rules and regulations; changes in laws, rules and regulations relating to our business, such as federal and state ammunition regulations; risks associated with cybersecurity and other industrial and physical security threats; interest rate risk; changes in the current tariff structures; changes in tax rules or pronouncements; capital market volatility and the availability of financing; our debt covenants may limit our ability to complete acquisitions, incur debt, make investments, sell assets, merge or complete other significant transactions; foreign currency exchange rates and fluctuations in those rates; general economic and business conditions in the United States and our markets outside the United States, including as a result of the war in Ukraine and the imposition of sanctions on Russia, the conflict in the Gaza strip, the COVID-19 pandemic or another pandemic, conditions affecting employment levels, consumer confidence and spending, conditions in the retail environment, and other economic conditions affecting demand for our products and the financial health of our customers. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements we make, which are based only on information currently available to us and speak only as of the date hereof. A more detailed description of risk factors that may affect our operating results can be found in Part 1, Item 1A, Risk Factors, of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal year 2024, and in the filings we make with the SEC from time to time. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as otherwise required by law. 1 Based on management estimates, including an assumption the SVP Transaction closes on December 31, 2024. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241125635762/en/ CONTACT: Investor: Tyler Lindwall Phone: 612-704-0147 Email:investor.relations@vistaoutdoor.comMedia: Eric Smith Phone: 720-772-0877 Email:media.relations@vistaoutdoor.com KEYWORD: MINNESOTA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: RETAIL OTHER CONSUMER CONSUMER OTHER RETAIL MANUFACTURING OTHER MANUFACTURING SOURCE: Vista Outdoor Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/25/2024 04:01 PM/DISC: 11/25/2024 04:01 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241125635762/en
Effective immediately, Jabril Peppers has been removed from the NFL's commissioner's exempt list and is now eligible to return to the facility, practice, and play. Peppers has been on the list since October 9th. He was placed there four days after being arrested on charges of assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, strangulation, and possession of cocaine. He is scheduled to go to trial on January 22nd. The team released a statement a short time ago: "The league has removed Jabrill Peppers from the commissioner’s exempt list. After missing the past seven games, he will now return to the active roster. We understand that the league’s investigation into the matter will continue, as will the legal process. We will await the outcome of both before making any further comment." The safety has missed the last eight games, seven since being put on the list and one the day after his arrest by Braintree police. He had been on the Pats' injury report that week, and initially, the team used that as cover until the news came out. The league's complete statement read as follows: "The National Football League today (Monday) removed Jabrill Peppers of the New England Patriots from the Commissioner Exempt List. Peppers has missed seven games since being placed on the list on October 9. Peppers, who was not permitted to practice or attend games while on the list, is now eligible to participate in all team activities, including playing in games. In accordance with the Personal Conduct Policy, the league initiated a preliminary investigation into an incident from early October. That review will remain ongoing and is not affected by this change in Peppers’ roster status." Braintree police were called to a residential address at around 4:15 a.m. on October 5th after getting reports of an altercation between two people. The alleged female victim believed to be his girlfriend, told police Peppers repeatedly struck her and choked her six times. In a court appearance on November 22, Peppers' attorney, Marc Brofksy , argued that the crimes his client has been accused of "didn't happen." He then went on to say the plaintiff demanded $10.5 million from Peppers. Her lawyers said the player's side asked to meet about a possible settlement, and that number was never requested. Peppers inked a three-year extension this summer for $24 million. He joined the team as a free agent in the spring of 2022 and was voted a team captain before the regular season started. This article first appeared on Boston Sports Journal and was syndicated with permission.PLAINS, Georgia (AP) — Newly married and sworn as a Naval officer, Jimmy Carter left his tiny hometown in 1946 hoping to climb the ranks and see the world. The untimely death of his father, a farmer who went by “Mr. Earl,” brought the submariner and his wife, Rosalynn , back to a rural life they thought they’d escaped. The lieutenant would never be an admiral. Instead, he became commander in chief. And, years after his presidency ended in humbling defeat, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The life of James Earl Carter Jr. ended Sunday at 100 where it began. Plains fueled the rise of the 39th U.S. president, welcomed him after his fall and sustained him during 40 years of service as a global humanitarian. With an optimism rooted in Baptist faith and an engineer's stubborn confidence, Carter showed a missionary zeal to solve problems and improve lives. “We shouldn’t judge presidents by how popular they are in their day," 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.” Many Americans judged his presidency ineffective for failing to end an energy crisis, turn around the economy or quickly bring American hostages home from Tehran. He won widespread admiration instead for The Carter Center — which has advocated for public health , human rights and democracy since 1982 — and the many years he and Rosalynn swung hammers with Habitat for Humanity . Carter's allies relished that he and Rosalynn, who died Nov. 19, 2023, lived 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, a repeat visitor during his own White House bid. Carter labeled himself “progressive” or “conservative." Republicans cast him as a left-wing cartoon. He could be classified a centrist, Buttigieg told the AP, “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.” Carter's vow to restore America’s virtue after the shame of Vietnam and Watergate with a transparent, good-government approach didn’t suit Republicans who cast government as the problem. His efficiency mandate could put him at odds with Democrats. Still, he scored wins on the environment, education and mental health care ; expanded federally protected lands; began deregulating air travel, railroads and trucking; emphasized human rights in foreign policy ; and unlike later presidents, added a relative pittance to the national debt. Carter had charmed voters in 1976 , grinning enthusiastically and promising he would “never lie” to them. Once in Washington, he could seem like a joyless engineer, insisting that political rewards would follow facts and logic. Such tenacity worked well at Camp David as Carter brokered peace between Israel’s Menachem Begin and Egypt’s Anwar Sadat, but it failed him as the nation’s cheerleader, beseeching Americans to get past a “crisis of confidence.” Republican Ronald Reagan exploited Carter’s lecturing tone, saying “there you go again” in response to a wonky debate answer. “The Great Communicator” won all but six states. Carter later acknowledged an incompatibility with Washington insiders who looked down on his team as “country come to town.” His closest adviser was Rosalynn Carter, who joined his Cabinet meetings. When she urged him to postpone relinquishing the Panama Canal, Carter said he was “going to do what's right” even if meant he wouldn't get re-elected, recalled her aide, Kathy Cade. “She’d remind him you have to win to govern,” Cade said. Carter won by navigating divides on race, class and ideology. He offered himself as an outsider to Atlanta and Washington, a peanut farmer with a nickname who carried his own luggage. Born on Oct. 1, 1924 in a home without running water or electricity, he was raised by a progressive mother and racist father. He and Rosalynn privately supported integration in the 1950s, but he didn't push to desegregate schools, and there's no record of him supporting the 1965 Voting Rights Act as a state senator. Carter ran to the right of his rival to win the 1970 governor's race, then landed on the cover of Time magazine by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” He didn't befriend civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.'s family until he ran for president. “He very shrewdly took advantage of his own Southernness,” said Amber Roessner, a University of Tennessee professor who wrote a book on Carter’s campaign. Carter was the last Democratic nominee to sweep the Deep South. Then, as he did in Georgia, he used his power as president to appoint more nonwhites than all his predecessors had, combined. Many years later, Carter called it “inconceivable” that he didn't consult Rosalynn before moving their family back to Plains or launching his state Senate bid. He called the mother of their four children “a full partner" in government and at The Carter Center as well as at home. “I just loved it,” she said of campaigning, despite the bitterness of defeat. True or not, the label of a failed presidency had leading Democrats keep their distance for many years. Carter remained relevant as a freelance diplomat, writing more than 30 books and weighing in on societal challenges. Carter declared after Donald Trump's presidential victory that America was no longer a fully functioning democracy. But he also warned Democrats against moving too far left, lest they help re-elect him, and said many failed to understand Trump’s populist appeal. Pilgrimages to Plains became advantageous again for would-be presidents in recent years, and well into their 90s, the Carters greeted visitors at Plains’ Maranatha Baptist Church , where he taught Sunday School and where his last funeral will be held. In his farewell presidential address, Carter urged citizens who had embraced or rejected him to do their part as Americans. “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 as he returned “home to the South where I was born and raised,” to where he had indeed become “a fellow citizen of the world.”
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