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Mack Brown is going to be upset. At his firing Tuesday , sure. So much for the North Carolina Hall of Fame coach going out on his own terms. Less than 24 hours after saying he would return to North Carolina for a seventh season, Brown's bosses overruled him. The firing of the 73-year-old had a sordid quality to it. It doesn't take an astronomer to see from a distance what had happened. In some form or fashion, North Carolina had given Brown the option of departing one of two ways -- a resignation or a firing. Brown's Hall of Fame career in perspective Tulane's Jon Sumrall could be best candidate for UNC Why Dennis Dodd says today was another case of Brown being done wrong UNC alum Chip Patterson says Tar Heels in rare spot (in rare time, too) Maybe Brown was stubborn. Maybe the administration doesn't have a heart. It was clear neither side was communicating properly with each other. "While this was not the perfect time and way in which I imagined going out, no time will ever be the perfect time," Brown said in a statement. A resignation would have included a fond sendoff at Saturday's regular season finale against rival North Carolina State. They could have put Brown's name up on a Kenan Stadium ring of honor right then and there. But Brown is going to be upset for another reason today that I resurrect one of the greatest lines ever uttered after a national championship game loss. In January of 2010 against Alabama, his quarterback Colt McCoy had been knocked out of the game early on. Bama rolled. After the injury, Brown never had much of a chance to win a second national championship. He never would come close again. On his way out of the locker room at the Rose Bowl that night, I happened to run into Brown. I asked him in passing what would have happened if McCoy had been able to play. "It wouldn't have been close," he said. Mack wasn't pleased later I used the line but it was relevant then and helps describe one of the modern greats today. In one unguarded moment the coach allowed us to see what he, his players and his fans had probably been thinking on their own. It added to the story. It revealed the coach. It helped define the man. To paraphrase on this sad day for Brown: Texas , North Carolina -- even Tulane -- wouldn't have been close to what they are football without Mack Brown. At Texas, he delivered a national championship and greatness that hadn't been realized in four decades. At North Carolina he returned "home" to become the first FBS coach to win at least 100 games at two schools. Even at Tulane, Brown produced the only bowl in an 18-year span for a moribund program. What he accomplished -- what he was allowed to accomplish -- probably wouldn't be possible today. Brown didn't have an above-.500 season until his sixth year as a head coach, at his second program. He didn't win nine until his eighth season. At the time of his College Football Hall of Fame in 2018, Brown had more wins than any other active head coach. That was six years ago. Brown had plenty left in the tank. Less than 24 hours before being fired, he told the world as much again. But we live in a society that doesn't properly credit or honor experience at times. North Carolina certainly didn't in this case. Its fans on the message boards were furious he wouldn't think about stepping away. Many of the comments regarding Brown in recent weeks had been soulless. But as signing day and the opening of the transfer portal quickly approach, there are brutal realities. I just wish they could have been addressed sooner and with more class. The accolades will flow Mack's way today. They should. But there's going to be a tremendous amount of bitterness left behind. This departure, probably Brown's last job, was similar to how he went out at Texas. In 2013, the Longhorns had descended into mediocrity. That departure was going to be uncomfortable. It was uncomfortable. Brown wanted to stay and take another shot at rebuilding what he had established at Texas. In that case, Brown chose to resign four years after delivering a national championship. Until Steve Sarkisian arrived four years ago, it became evident that Brown had been less of the problem than Texas' vision. Like Nick Saban at Alabama and Kirby Smart at Georgia, the Longhorns needed someone to set it straight. Sark was finally that guy. It is sad, then, that North Carolina came after Brown much the same way as Texas did when things turned sour. Mack deserved better. Texas and North Carolina didn't fall off a cliff; they fell short of a standard established by their elite coach. North Carolina was lucky to have him. In two stints as head coach, Brown delivered eight seasons of at least eight wins at a blueblood basketball school. Outside of that, UNC has had only 23 such seasons in its history. He put North Carolina on the map, made Texas relevant again, and then put North Carolina on the map again. How's that for a walk off? If only that's what it was. It would have been nice if Brown wasn't shoved out. After Bobby Bowden, Brown will go down as one of the greatest CEO coaches. That's not an insult. There is something to be said for a guy who can schmooze with boosters, recruits, fans, media and recruits. Brown wasn't so much a tactician but a benevolent overseer who knew how to work a room. Look, anyone who landed Vince Young didn't have to know much about RPOs. The Texas quarterback was a brilliant, talented wind-up toy who improvised much of the time anyway. Brown's biggest contribution to Texas football may have been landing Young and giving him enough encouragement and freedom to develop into a national championship quarterback at his own pace. "We knew he was a big physical guy," Sarkisian recalled to me in a 10-year oral history of that USC-Texas BCS Championship Game. Sark was then USC's co-offensive coordinator. "We knew they didn't run a lot of plays. They didn't have a big playbook. He just kind of made their plays work." Brown was among those who recalled in detail to me how motivated Young was in 2005 when he finished second to Reggie Bush in the Heisman Trophy voting. "I covered the Heisman ceremony and my lead was: 'Beware, USC. Be very afraid,' former Austin American Statesman Kirk Bohls told me. "The Heisman folks told me they had never seen someone so upset after finishing second." There was little coaching to be done that month. Or it seemed that way. Just let that anger simmer. The lid popped off with 19 seconds left in that championship game against USC. Young scored the game-winning touchdown to clinch Texas' first title in 36 years. Quarterbacks Sam Howell and Drake Maye blossomed into NFL prospects at North Carolina (flipping Howell from Florida State was the first thing Brown did when he landed in Chapel Hill for a sequel). Tailback Omarion Hampton just went for a career-high 244 yards against Wake Forest. He is about to pass 1,500 yards for the second consecutive season. Eighteen total Tar Heels have been drafted since Brown returned. They are part of Brown's legacy, too. Too bad they don't actually have a ring of honor for coaches at Kenan Stadium. That will have to change.AAP FACTCHECK – Fake images of Elon Musk doing mundane activities such as eating breakfast, holding flowers or wearing pyjamas are being used to lure Facebook users into the hands of scammers. The images are generated by artificial intelligence (AI). Facebook users who comment on the photos are being targeted by scammers. A Facebook photo search for “Elon Musk” returns hundreds of images of the technology billionaire. Some are genuine but many are clearly AI-generated. Many of the AI images are published on Elon Musk fan pages, and some include invitations. A picture published on December 16, 2024, in a Facebook group named “ CEO Space X-Tesla “, carries the caption “Just thinking about you puts a smile on my face” and purports to show him with a large plate of fried eggs and steak and holding a white coffee cup. But there are clear signs the picture was created using AI. Mr Musk’s fingers and thumbs are warped, the coffee cup he is holding appears to be balancing on his hand, and the steak on his plate has an unusual bone attached. Another Facebook post published on December 12 on an “Elon Musk fan group” purports to show Mr Musk holding up a card with the US flag and some writing. However, the letters on the card are warped and indecipherable, a common feature of AI-generated images . Many of the posts appear to be “engagement bait”. Facebook describes engagement bait as “a tactic that urges people to interact with Facebook posts through likes, shares, comments and other actions in order to artificially boost engagement and get greater reach”. Scammers appear to be using the comments section of the fake Elon Musk posts to encourage people to send them private messages or click on suspicious links. Dr TJ Thomson from RMIT and Associate Professor Amy Dawel from the Australian National University previously provided AAP FactCheck with eight tips for spotting AI-based visual disinformation. The tips included looking for visual inconsistencies in the image, trying to find the original image using a reverse image search tool such as TinEye , and using an AI detection tool such as AI or Not . Scammers are producing thousands of Facebook posts like this that encourage people to share the post and/or click nefarious links. Many people could be tricked into a scam – or advertising a scam – to family and friends on Facebook without realising it. That’s why it’s vital to know how to identify a potential scam. Treat posts offering extremely cheap or free products and services, or appealing for help to find lost or found people or pets, with caution if they include more than one of the following features: * The person encourages everyone to share their post widely. * They don’t provide their contact details or they ask people to send them a DM or PM (direct message or private message). * The post includes only very vague details about the location of the giveaway, person or pet. * The account of the person posting is less than a year old, has no profile picture, has very few friends, or isn’t located in the same area as the subject of the post. This indicates the account is fake. * You can’t comment on the post because comments are disabled. This is done to stop people from warning others it’s a scam. All information, text and images included on the AAP Websites is for personal use only and may not be re-written, copied, re-sold or re-distributed, framed, linked, shared onto social media or otherwise used whether for compensation of any kind or not, unless you have the prior written permission of AAP. For more information, please refer to our standard terms and conditions .
Today in Delaware County history, Dec. 29
Andy Murray to coach long-time rival Novak Djokovic at Australian OpenA look at how some of Trump's picks to lead health agencies could help carry out Kennedy's overhaul Donald Trump's health team picks include a retired congressman, a surgeon and a former talk-show host. All could play pivotal roles in fulfilling an agenda that could change how the government goes about safeguarding Americans’ health, from health care and medicines to food safety and science research. In line to be Trump's health secretary is anti-vaccine organizer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He says his task is to “reorganize” federal health agencies. They employ 80,000 scientists, researchers, doctors and other officials, and effect Americans’ daily lives. Trump raced to pick many Cabinet posts. He took more time to settle on a treasury secretary WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump launched a blitz of picks for his Cabinet, but he took his time settling on billionaire investor Scott Bessent as his choice for treasury secretary. The Republican not only wanted someone who jibes with him, but an official who can execute his economic vision and look straight out of central casting while doing so. With his Yale University education and pedigree trading for Soros Fund Management before establishing his own funds, Bessent will be tasked with a delicate balancing act. Trump expects him to help reset the global trade order, enable trillions of dollars in tax cuts, ensure inflation stays in check, manage a ballooning national debt and still keep the financial markets confident. Israeli strikes in central Beirut kill at least 20 as diplomats push for a cease-fire BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) — Lebanese officials say Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 20 people and injured dozens in central Beirut, as the once-rare attacks on the heart of Lebanon’s capital continue without warning. Diplomats are scrambling to broker a cease-fire but say obstacles still remain. The current proposal calls for a two-month cease-fire during which Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the southern border south of the Litani River. Lebanon’s Health Ministry says Israeli attacks have killed more than 3,500 people in Lebanon in the months of fighting that have turned into all-out war. Voters rejected historic election reforms across the US, despite more than $100M push JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Election reform advocates had hoped for a big year at the ballot box. That's because a historic number of states were considering initiatives for ranked choice voting or to end partisan primaries. Instead, voters dealt them big losses in the November elections. Voters in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and South Dakota all rejected proposed changes to their voting systems. In Alaska, a proposal to repeal ranked choice voting appears to have narrowly fallen short. The losses in many states came even though election reform supporters raised more than $100 million, easily outpacing opponents. Supporters say they aren't giving up but plan to retool their efforts. The week that upped the stakes of the Ukraine war KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — This past week has seen the most significant escalation in hostilities Ukraine has witnessed since Russia's full-scale invasion and marks a new chapter in the nearly three-year war. It began with U.S. President Joe Biden reversing a longstanding policy by granting Kyiv permission to deploy American longer-range missiles inside Russian territory and ended with Moscow striking Ukraine with a new experimental ballistic weapon that has alarmed the international community and heightened fears of further escalation. US reels from rain, snow as second round of bad weather approaches for Thanksgiving week WINDSOR, Calif. (AP) — The U.S. is reeling from snow and rain while preparing for another bout of bad weather ahead of Thanksgiving that could disrupt holiday travel. California is bracing for more snow and rain while still grappling with some flooding and small landslides from a previous storm. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for California's Sierra Nevada through Tuesday, with heavy snow expected at high elevations. Parts of the Northeast and Appalachia are also starting the weekend with heavy precipitation. Meanwhile thousands remain without power in the Seattle area after a “bomb cyclone” storm system roared ashore the West Coast earlier in the week, killing two people. Even with access to blockbuster obesity drugs, some people don't lose weight Most people taking popular drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy to lose weight have shed significant pounds. But obesity experts say that roughly 20% of patients — as many as 1 in 5 — may not see robust results with the new medications. The response to the drugs varies from person to person and can depend on genetics, hormones and differences in how the brain regulates energy. Undiagnosed medical conditions and some drugs can prevent weight loss. Experts say it can take experimentation to help so-called nonresponders find results. Fighting between armed sectarian groups in restive northwestern Pakistan kills at least 37 people PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — A senior Pakistani police officer says fighting between armed sectarian groups in the country's restive northwest has killed at least 37 people. The overnight violence was the latest to rock Kurram, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and comes days after a deadly gun ambush killed 42 people. The officer said Saturday that armed men torched shops, houses and government property overnight. Gunfire is ongoing between rival tribes. Although Sunnis and Shiites generally live together peacefully in Pakistan, tensions remain in some areas, especially Kurram. Hydrate. Make lists. Leave yourself time. And other tips for reducing holiday travel stress Travel, especially during the holiday season, can be stressful. But following some tips from the pros as you prepare for a trip can make for a smoother, less anxious experience. One expert traveler suggests making a list a week before you go of things you need to do and pack. Cross off each item as you complete it during the week. Another tip is to carry your comfort zone with you. That could mean noise-canceling headphones, playlists meant to soothe airport travelers, entertainment and snacks from home. Carry a change of clothes and a phone charger in case of delays. Stay hydrated. Leave extra time. And know your airline's rules. Downloading the airline's app can help with that. Andy Murray will coach Novak Djokovic through the Australian Open Recently retired Andy Murray will team up with Novak Djokovic, working with him as a coach through the Australian Open in January. Murray’s representatives put out statements from both players on Saturday. Djokovic is a 24-time Grand Slam champion who has spent more weeks at No. 1 than any other player in tennis history. Murray won three major trophies and two Olympic singles gold medals who finished 2016 atop the ATP rankings. He retired as a player after the Paris Summer Games in August.
Florida Gov. DeSantis’ Canadian drug import plan goes nowhere after FDA approvalActor Keanu Reeves has said he joined the cast of Sonic The Hedgehog 3 as he is “a big fan” of the series. Reeves, 60, plays Shadow in the latest film adaption of the Sega video game, which will see Sonic, Knuckles and Tails battle him to protect the planet. Speaking at the movie’s London premiere on Tuesday, the Canadian star said: “I’m a big fan, I mean, I really enjoyed the first two films. “I really liked the character of Shadow, so I was really excited to try to be a part of it.” The Matrix actor went on to speak about the differences between voice acting and appearing on screen. He added: “It’s fun to play pretend, I love acting, so it’s fun to try and inhabit another character. “There’s an intensity to doing voice work and specificity, it’s kind of more like doing, it’s its own thing, because it’s kind of like theatre, but no audience. “So it’s like doing radio, and it’s just fun.” Canadian-American actor Jim Carrey co-stars as villain Doctor Eggman, a role he told the PA news agency it was “great” to be playing again. Carrey told PA: “I do like to play a character filled with disdain here and there, the Grinch was that. “But there were other characters like The Truman Show, he’s somebody who loves the world and believes in the world, and believes in the people in his life, and believes in his neighbours, and he’s just a good-hearted soul that finds out there’s something more in the world than what he knows and something beyond his own neighbourhood. “So it’s a lovely story, but they’re all different characters, they all have different desires, and you have to do something special with each one.” He added: “I just let it rip when they say action, it’s just a perfect excuse to be an obstreperous bloviating bag of ill will. “And then of course they say cut, and all of that horrible politeness and needing to be loved seeps back in.” Sonic The Hedgehog 3 will be released in UK cinemas on Friday December 20.
Arcadia Biosciences ( NASDAQ:RKDA – Get Free Report ) and Oriental Rise Holdings Limited Ordinary Shares ( NASDAQ:ORIS – Get Free Report ) are both small-cap basic materials companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, dividends, earnings, risk, valuation, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership. Institutional and Insider Ownership 17.7% of Arcadia Biosciences shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.8% of Arcadia Biosciences shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. Earnings and Valuation This table compares Arcadia Biosciences and Oriental Rise Holdings Limited Ordinary Shares”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Analyst Recommendations This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for Arcadia Biosciences and Oriental Rise Holdings Limited Ordinary Shares, as reported by MarketBeat. Arcadia Biosciences presently has a consensus price target of $6.00, indicating a potential downside of 1.80%. Given Arcadia Biosciences’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Arcadia Biosciences is more favorable than Oriental Rise Holdings Limited Ordinary Shares. Profitability This table compares Arcadia Biosciences and Oriental Rise Holdings Limited Ordinary Shares’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Summary Arcadia Biosciences beats Oriental Rise Holdings Limited Ordinary Shares on 7 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks. About Arcadia Biosciences ( Get Free Report ) Arcadia Biosciences, Inc. produces and markets plant-based food and beverage products in the United States. The company develops crop improvements primarily in wheat to enhance farm economics by improving the performance of crops in the field, as well as their value as food ingredients. Its food, beverage, and body case products include GoodWheat, Zola coconut water, ProVault topical pain relief, and SoulSpring. The company was incorporated in 2002 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. About Oriental Rise Holdings Limited Ordinary Shares ( Get Free Report ) Oriental Rise Holdings Limited engages in planting, cultivating, processing, and selling processed tea in Mainland China. It offers processed white tea, black tea, and refined tea products to wholesale distributors and end-user retail customers. The company was incorporated in 2019 and is based in Ningde, China. Receive News & Ratings for Arcadia Biosciences Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Arcadia Biosciences and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
TikTok files legal challenge of federal government’s shutdown order
Meghan McCain Says She Voted For Her Late Father, John McCain, In The 2024 ElectionNo. 22 St. John's, Georgia pack busy schedule with game on Sunday
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas hired Nevada offensive coordinator Matt Lubick to help direct the Jayhawks' offense Tuesday, the latest in a series of moves that have reshaped coach Lance Leipold's staff after a disappointing season that ended without a bowl berth. Lubick will be co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach and work alongside Jim Zebrowski , who spent last year as the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. The duo is replacing Jeff Grimes, who left for a coordinator job at Wisconsin. Lubick, the son of longtime Colorado State coach Sonny Lubick, spent two years at Kansas prior to leaving for the Wolfpack, serving as a senior offensive analyst on Leipold's staff. The Jayhawks made their first bowl appearance in more than a decade in 2022 and won nine games and beat UNLV in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl the following season. The 52-year-old Lubick was working for Kansas in 2023 when a bone marrow biopsy revealed he had acute myeloid leukemia. Lubick had a stem cell transplant last December and the cancer went into remission. "Coach Leipold and his staff embraced me as family when I became an analyst in 2022,” Lubick said. “I am beyond grateful for their continued support and love they have given me throughout my recovery of leukemia. The turnaround of Kansas football has been awesome to follow and the best is yet to come.” The Jayhawks got off to a 1-5 start this past season, then won four of the next five, including a program-best three straight wins over teams ranked in the AP Top 25 . But they lost their regular-season finale to Baylor to finish 5-7 and miss a bowl game. The hiring of Lubick comes two days after defensive coordinator Brian Borland announced his retirement. Borland had worked alongside Leipold since 2007, when they were at Division III powerhouse Wisconsin-Whitewater. He will be replaced by DK McDonald, who joined Kansas last year as the co-defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach. “I've been fortunate to work with Brian for more than 18 years. He is the ultimate professional, selfless coworker and I am grateful for his commitment and impact that he has made on so many throughout his career,” Leipold said. “Brian and I had discussions weeks prior to our last regular-season game, and we are very appreciative of all that he has done for Kansas.” Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballATLANTA (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 simply said in posting about Carter's death on the social media platform X. 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 president from Plains 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. And then, the world 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.” ‘An epic American life’ 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. A small-town start 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. 'Jimmy Who?' 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. Accomplishments, and ‘malaise’ 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. 'A wonderful life' 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. Bill Barrow, The Associated Press
South Korean President Yoon's impeachment fails as his ruling party boycotts vote
The Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority board hired a law firm as ITFederal appeals jury verdicts in the EDA’s embezzlement lawsuit. The EDA board of directors voted at a special meeting on Friday to retain Richmond law firm Sands Anderson to represent the authority in ITFederal’s and Truc “Curt” Tran’s appeal of jury verdicts. Chairman Robert MacDougall and directors Robert Cullers, Dave McDermott and Bruce Townshend voted on the motion. A jury in Warren County Circuit Court found in favor of the EDA in 2022 for its civil claims against Tran and ITFederal including conversion (or theft) and breach of contract. Attorneys with Sands Anderson represented the EDA in the civil case in Warren County Circuit Court against Tran and ITFederal as well as former authority executive director Jennifer McDonald and other co-defendants. A panel of judges in the Virginia Court of Appeals upheld jury verdicts against Tran and ITFederal in favor of the EDA. Tran and his business, ITFederal, appealed the Warren County Circuit Court’s final order entering partial final judgment in favor of the EDA on the authority’s claims for ultra vires, conversion, unjust enrichment and breach of contract, according to the appeal. Appellate Judges Steven C. Frucci, Stuart A. Raphael and Mary B. Malveaux heard arguments in Arlington and affirmed the judgment of the lower court. The panel found that the trial court did not err in sustaining the jury verdicts against Tran on the claim of conversion, a civil term similar to theft. The panel found that the EDA presented sufficient evidence to show the appellant breached promissory notes and terms. The Court of Appeals received notice Nov. 7 that Tran intended to appeal to the Supreme Court of Virginia. The appellate judges found that IT Federal breached its contract with the EDA by failing to reach construction targets on an information technology facility on the former Avtex Fibers site in Front Royal. The EDA board of directors entered into a deal with Tran under which the authority provided him with financial assistance to build the facility, which he touted would employ hundreds of people. The building remains vacant. A jury in late July 2022 found in favor of the EDA in several civil claims against Tran and awarded compensatory damages to the authority of $1,499,986, plus interest. The jury entered a verdict for the EDA in claims against ITFederal and awarded compensatory damages of $10,419,327.38, without interest, to the EDA. Tran and ITFederal argued on appeal that the circuit court erred in part by not setting aside verdicts finding he was unjustly enriched by receiving the EDA property on the former Avtex Fibers site for his project. Tran argued that the plaintiff did not prove that he ever personally controlled or withheld EDA property or that he personally received a benefit at the authority’s expense. Tran and ITFederal argued also that the circuit court should have set aside the breach of contract verdicts relating to a $2 million promissory note and a $10 million promissory note for lack of evidence. McDonald worked as the EDA executive director from 2008 through 2018. The EDA’s attorney discovered in late 2018 that McDonald had used the authority’s funds to buy several properties through her limited liability company. EDA audits for fiscal 2018 and 2019 showed embezzlement of funds by McDonald. No one on the EDA board noticed any financial irregularities prior to 2018, the opinion states. McDonald is serving a 14-year sentence in federal prison after a jury convicted her on Nov. 1, 2023, on multiple counts of fraud, money laundering and one charge of aggravated identity theft. McDonald has appealed the verdicts to the U.S. Fourth District Court of Appeals.