Missouri will try to finish its nonconference home schedule unbeaten when it hosts Alabama State on Monday night in Columbia, Mo. The Tigers (10-2) have won all 10 games on their home court so far, with their only losses coming at Memphis, 83-75, in the season opener and against Illinois, 80-77, in St. Louis on Dec. 22. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. As property values continue to outpace inflation, property taxes are taking a bigger bite out of homeowners’ wallets. A new analysis from Construction Coverage breaks down property tax rates by state, county, and city to reveal where homeowners have the greatest burden. Click for more. Where Are U.S. Property Taxes Highest and Lowest? A State, County, and City AnalysisOpenAI is aiming to reach 1 billion users by 2025 as it rolls out new artificial intelligence products, builds its own data centres, and strengthens its partnership with Apple. The San Francisco-based company, known for its ChatGPT chatbot with 250 million weekly active users, plans to introduce AI “agents,” a proprietary AI-powered search engine, and deepen integration of ChatGPT with Apple devices. “We are coming into our own as a research lab serving millions and aiming for billions of consumers worldwide,” Financial Times cited Sarah Friar, OpenAI’s chief financial officer, as saying. The company recently raised more than $6 billion in funding at a valuation of $150 billion, making it the highest-valued startup in Silicon Valley’s history. Friar said OpenAI plans to continue raising both equity and debt to fuel its growth, including constructing data centres in the US Midwest and Southwest. “We’re in a massive growth phase,” she said, adding that advancing AI models remains a costly endeavour. Expanding AI reach OpenAI’s strategy includes launching “agents” — advanced chatbot-like assistants that perform web tasks, such as booking services or gathering information. Friar said 2025 could see the first highly successful agents helping users with everyday needs. Integration with Apple devices, which began last month in the US, is expected to significantly boost user numbers. A venture capital investor said OpenAI could quickly reach its goal of 1 billion users, using Apple’s global base of 2 billion iPhones. “If you get to that threshold, you’re competing with Google and Facebook,” the investor said. OpenAI’s transition from a non-profit to a for-profit business has seen the company expand its headcount to more than 2,000 employees and focus on monetising AI products to offset costs exceeding $5 billion annually. Navigating political hurdles OpenAI’s growth comes as it navigates a politically charged environment. Chris Lehane, the company’s policy chief and a veteran political strategist, is engaging with US policymakers to position OpenAI as a leader in “democratic” AI, countering Chinese-led technological advancements. Lehane said the company has been in discussions with the incoming Trump administration about AI’s role in national security and economic competitiveness. While tensions with former co-founder Elon Musk persist — including a lawsuit filed by Musk accusing OpenAI of deceit — Lehane stressed alignment with federal priorities on AI leadership.
ATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who tried to restore virtue to the White House after the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, then rebounded from a landslide defeat to become a global advocate of human rights and democracy, has died. He was 100 years old . The Carter Center said the 39th president died Sunday afternoon, roughly 22 months after entering hospice care , at his home in Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died in November 2023, lived most of their lives. The center said he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. President Joe Biden mourned Carter’s death, saying the world lost an “extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian” and he also lost a dear friend. Biden cited Carter’s work to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil and human rights, promote free and fair elections and house the homeless as an example for others. Biden spoke later Sunday evening about Carter, calling it a “sad day” but one that “brings back an incredible amount of good memories.” “I’ve been hanging out with Jimmy Carter for over 50 years,” Biden said in his remarks. He recalled the former president being a comfort to him and his wife Jill when their son Beau died in 2015 of cancer. The president remarked how cancer was a common bond between their families, with Carter himself having cancer later in his life. “Jimmy knew the ravages of the disease too well,” said Biden. The president has ordered a state funeral for Carter in Washington. A moderate Democrat, Carter ran for president in 1976 as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad grin, effusive Baptist faith and technocratic plans for efficient government. His promise to never 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 said. Carter’s victory over Republican Gerald Ford, whose fortunes fell after pardoning Nixon, came amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over race, women’s rights and America’s role in the world. His achievements included brokering Mideast peace by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at Camp David for 13 days in 1978. But his coalition splintered under double-digit inflation and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His negotiations ultimately brought all the hostages home alive, but in a final insult, Iran didn’t release them until the inauguration of Ronald Reagan, who had trounced him in the 1980 election. Humbled and back home in Georgia, Carter said his faith demanded that he keep doing whatever he could, for as long as he could, to try to make a difference. He and Rosalynn co-founded The Carter Center in 1982 and spent the next 40 years traveling the world as peacemakers, human rights advocates and champions of democracy and public health. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, Carter helped ease nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiate cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, the center had monitored at least 113 elections around the world. Carter was determined to eradicate guinea worm infections as one of many health initiatives. Swinging hammers into their 90s, the Carters built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The common observation that he was better as an ex-president rankled Carter. His allies were pleased that he lived long enough to see biographers and historians revisit his presidency and declare it more impactful than many understood at the time. Propelled in 1976 by voters in Iowa and then across the South, Carter ran a no-frills campaign. Americans were captivated by the earnest engineer, and while an election-year Playboy interview drew snickers when he said he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times,” voters tired of political cynicism found it endearing. The first family set an informal tone in the White House, carrying their own luggage, trying to silence the Marine Band’s traditional “Hail to the Chief” and enrolling daughter, Amy, in public schools. Carter was lampooned for wearing a cardigan and urging Americans to turn down their thermostats. But Carter set the stage for an economic revival and sharply reduced America’s dependence on foreign oil by deregulating the energy industry along with airlines, trains and trucking. He established the departments of Energy and Education, appointed record numbers of women and nonwhites to federal posts, preserved millions of acres of Alaskan wilderness and pardoned most Vietnam draft evaders. Emphasizing human rights , he ended most support for military dictators and took on bribery by multinational corporations by signing the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. He persuaded the Senate to ratify the Panama Canal treaties and normalized relations with China, an outgrowth of Nixon’s outreach to Beijing. But crippling turns in foreign affairs took their toll. When OPEC hiked crude prices, making drivers line up for gasoline as inflation spiked to 11%, Carter tried to encourage Americans to overcome “a crisis of confidence.” Many voters lost confidence in Carter instead after the infamous address that media dubbed his “malaise” speech, even though he never used that word. After Carter reluctantly agreed to admit the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979. Negotiations to quickly free the hostages broke down, and then eight Americans died when a top-secret military rescue attempt failed. Carter also had to reverse course on the SALT II nuclear arms treaty after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979. Though historians would later credit Carter’s diplomatic efforts for hastening the end of the Cold war, Republicans labeled his soft power weak. Reagan’s “make America great again” appeals resonated, and he beat Carter in all but six states. Born Oct. 1, 1924, James Earl Carter Jr. married fellow Plains native Rosalynn Smith in 1946, the year he graduated from the Naval Academy. He brought his young family back to Plains after his father died, abandoning his Navy career, and they soon turned their ambitions to politics . Carter reached the state Senate in 1962. After rural white and Black voters elected him governor in 1970, he drew national attention by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” Carter published more than 30 books and remained influential as his center turned its democracy advocacy onto U.S. politics, monitoring an audit of Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results. After a 2015 cancer diagnosis, Carter said he felt “perfectly at ease with whatever comes.” “I’ve had a wonderful life,” he said. “I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” Sanz is a former Associated Press reporter.FAIRVIEW — Tyler Loan had a pair of long touchdown runs, Wyatt McPherson had both a rushing and fumble recovery score and Fairview won 27-6 over Belt on Saturday for its second straight 8-Man football state championship. The Warriors (13-0 overall) won their 25th consecutive game dating back to last season . They are the first back-to-back champions in 8-Man since Drummond-Philipsburg accomplished the feat from 2017-18. Fairview's defense was stifling, holding Belt, which appeared in the state championship game for the third year in a row, to its lowest point total since 2023's season opener when the Huskies were held to 20 points — also against Fairview. Belt has lost just three times since the beginning of the 2022 season, on all occasions to Fairview. McPherson got the party started on a frigid day near the North Dakota border with a 2-yard rushing score on the Warriors' first drive of the game, set up by a 45-yard run from the quarterback, Loan. Belt punted, and Loan went off to the races again with a 65-yard house call to double the Warriors' lead. The scoring pace slowed down from there, with multiple turnovers each way plus a missed field goal from Loan right before the half leaving it 14-0 to the hosts at the break. The Huskies got on the board with their opening series of the second half, with Blake Waldner finishing off a punishing Belt drive with a 5-yard carry to make it 14-6. But Fairview's defense held firm the rest of the way, including when it secured a momentum-shifting 35-yard scoop and score from McPherson to restore the two-score advantage at 20-6 going into the fourth quarter. Belt hit Fairview with attack after attack in the final frame, but the Warriors stopped the Huskies five times on fourth down in the closing quarter as Belt was unable to dent Fairview's lead any further. A 42-yard Loan keeper for another score with 2:01 left iced it and kicked off the celebrations. Fairview won its third title in program history with the victory and first on its home field after capturing the crown at Belt a year ago. The Warriors had also previously beaten Alberton-Superior in 2019 at Rocky Mountain College in Billings.
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Cerity Partners LLC Purchases 11,337 Shares of Solventum Co. (NYSE:SOLV)TIRUCHY: Gone are the days when the streets in the Railway Colony at Ponmalai would brim with love and joy as the members of the Anglo-Indian community would never miss the Christmas festivities but lately their celebrations have been confined to houses as the population has plummeted. “We are heartbroken,” says Hanzel Ross, a visibly shattered retired railway employee gazing at the empty streets. Hanzel’s frustration stems from an overwhelming decline in the number of Anglo-Indians from over 25,000 in Golden Rock and around 15,000 in other parts of Tiruchy to less than 500. Most of the Anglo-Indians were well-off in the past as most of them were employed in railways. The railways had built them quarters which, at present, are in a dilapidated condition. Gradually most of them left the place seeking a good fortune. “Once, music and songs would flow all along the streets but now, it looks pathetic and ghosty,” Hanzel said. Hanzel Ross’s grandfather had worked in the railways during the British period and his father worked post-independence. Hanzel noted how it was easy for them to secure a job in the railways as they had a good command of the English language. “We mingle with locals, but at the same time never compromise with our traditions. Many of us have Dutch or Portuguese roots, and our surnames have been passed down through generations. We were earlier referred to as Euro-Asians. ‘Anglo-Indian’ is a term of convenience,” says Lynda Peppin, a retired teacher. “We are all in touch though the younger generations started migrating abroad in the 1950s. But we ensure we never miss social gatherings, particularly the Christmas festivities. In those days, we used to gather in the Ponmalai Railway Institute. But now, as times changed, we book halls in the city and no one misses any gathering whether it is a birthday celebration or wedding event,” recalled Lynda. “Every family would have at least six children and the entire colony would be filled with children's laughter. During festival times, the place would turn into a carnival. We are a fun-loving community and weekends for us, mean get-togethers, dancing, singing, playing bingo, and fancy dress competitions,” Lynda said. Meanwhile, KC Neelamegam (59), a railway employee whose family lived in the railway colony for three generations said, “I lived in a street where the majority were Anglo-Indians. As children, even if we did small good things, they would appreciate and encourage us.” He further added during Christmas and New Year, the colony would be in a celebratory mood which is missing now. “I still remember them dancing on the wooden floor of the Railway Institute Hall throughout the night. The rhythmic sound from their dance steps is audible even till our houses,” recounts Neelamegam. Because there were many Anglo-Indian teachers in the Railways Mixed Higher Secondary School at Ponmalai, many children acquired the English language efficiently. “For instance, my youngest brother studied in that school. After finishing the catering course, he got a job in the USA and settled there mainly because he got well-versed in English with the help of those teachers,” said Neelamegam. However, gradually, many Anglo-Indians left the Railway Colony due to economic reasons as job opportunities dried up. Doulas Freeman, a retired employee of Golden Rock railway workshop, explains in the past, many Anglo-Indian girls pursued teacher training at Church Park Anglo-Indian Teacher Training School in Chennai and came to work as teachers in Tiruchy. “But now, even in private schools a degree in education is mandatory and so our people went abroad in search of employment as Anglo-Indians are most preferred,” he said, adding that many have obtained good jobs with better pay scales and settled in Australia, UK, USA, and Canada. Dilapidated railway quarters where Anglo-Indians lived in Tiruchy This was one main reason that rendered many households in Ponmalai quiet, pathetic, and ghostly because senior citizens are the only people living here now. Most of their children are abroad and they come to Ponmalai only during festivals, particularly Christmas. Ballroom at railway institute hall, a testimony of their joyful days The Railway Institute Hall in Tiruchy, built by the British in 1897, was considered the hub of Anglo-Indians’ social life in the city, especially towards the end of the year. The community comes together and makes merry during Christmas and New Year celebrations starting on December 23 and ending on January 2. According to senior members, the hall built in the colonial style with high ceilings was initially functioning as a staff recreation club. With arched doorways that open to passages on the side to accommodate large crowds, the stone-floored hall has hosted many social gatherings that involve music and dance. The hall is making a comeback as the railway authorities have been carrying out elaborate refurbishment works. A similar ballroom at Ponmalai railway colony once played a vital role in enhancing the social lives of Anglo-Indians. Music and dance were always part of their social gatherings. The ballroom had a wooden floor to accommodate dancing couples who would remain enticed in feet tapping sounds. However, the wooden floors have been replaced with stone floors now. “During the weekends and special occasions, the ballroom used to be filled with the community members whose celebrations span from dusk to dawn,” recalls J Benjamin (71), an auditor, whose family lived in the railway colony for three generations. The building has been renovated for other purposes. There is a library now and it has also become a meeting place for retired people now. Benjamin, a non-Anglo Indian, recalled that Anglo-Indians were very particular about their dress code, behaviour and attitudes. However, over time, the Anglo-Indian women started wearing sarees and have also started speaking in Tamil. The interracial marriages have rendered the community more ethnically diverse than before. Renovated 127-year-old ballroom near Tiruchy junction Speaking on how they were open to adapting different cultural practices, he said, “Many women started wearing saree, bindi, and mangalsutra. They even draw ‘kolams’, light kuthuvilakku (lamps) during celebrations, and even light small lamps for the Karthigai Deepam festival,” Benjamin said. Once experts in sports, now nowhere near railway ground The railway ground which is the centre of attraction in Ponmalai railway colony was once dominated by the Anglo-Indian community members as they excelled in the games like cricket, hockey, and football and even bagged several cups and trophies in national-level tournaments. “The non-Anglo-Indian people were just spectators,” recalls KC Neelamegam (59), a railway employee and environmentalist. Neelamegam, whose family has been residing in the railway colony for three generations, said that he would sit in the distance and watch how the Anglo-Indians played. “We used to admire their expertise and see how they move around. Every year, they bring laurels to Ponmalai and they used to tour across the country participating in tournaments,” he said. He pointed out that in a positive and healthy development, the youth from the Anglo-Indian community eventually started mingling with other youth and taught them sports. “Gradually the scenario changed and many non-Anglo-Indian youths ventured into the railway ground and various teams playing for Ponmalai railway colony,” he said. Railway ground in Ponmalai railway colony “In the past, the ground used to be filled with Anglo-Indian youth. But now only handpicked Anglo-Indians are in the sports as the population shrank due to migration abroad,” he explained.
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