Do you love this LGBTQ icon and creator of Heartstopper? Click here to find out why Alice Oseman is one of the most talented authors out there! Alice Oseman is an amazing young author, illustrator and story-teller that is making a huge name for herself! You’ve probably already heard of her books and the Netflix show Heartstopper , but there’s a lot more to this amazing writer than you might expect! Her books are loved by her fans for their honest depiction of LGBTQ life, and the ups and downs of teenage years. But read on, and we’ll explain exactly what it is about Alice Oseman that makes her so great! For more great book stuff, check out these Dav Pilkey facts , these Michael Rosen facts , and even these Jacqueline Wilson facts ! Book facts for everyone! Wahoo! 1. She started writing really early! Alice Oseman published her first novel, Solitaire , at just 19 years old. She wrote it while she was still a student at Durham University! Alice’s age makes her stories more believable for a younger audience, and has meant she really understands what her fans are going through! 2. Solitaire was her big break Solit aire was the debut novel that introduced the world to the Heartstopper characters Charlie and Tori Spring. It’s mostly Tori’s story, but Alice loved Charlie’s character and wanted to explore him more in Heartstopper . Fans immediately loved Charlie as well, leading Alice to write Heartstopper , a comic about his relationship with Nick Nelson. 3. She does all the drawing herself, too! Alice’s work as the illustrator of Heartstopper is impressive because she taught herself how to draw specifically for the comic! She was originally a writer not a cartoonist, but she decided to learn illustration to bring her story to life in a way that was true to herself. And clearly she did a great job! 4. Heartstopper Began as a Webcomic Alice first launched Heartstopper as a webcomic on Tumblr and Tapas in 2016, publishing it page-by-page. The response was so positive that she eventually took the comic to Kickstarter to fund a print edition. With the support of dedicated fans, Heartstopper became a published series, bringing the sweet, slow-burn romance between Nick and Charlie to a much bigger audience. And it didn’t stop there! 5. Alice Oseman Can Do It All! As well as writing the stories and illustrating them – Alice is also a musician! She has even created playlists for her characters and scenes, giving readers a soundtrack to their stories. For example, her Heartstopper playlist features artists like Charli XCX and Pink Pantheress! 6. She’s an LGBT icon Alice, who identifies as aromantic asexual, makes sure to features lots of different sexualities and identities in her work. For example, her novel Loveless explores the struggles of Georgia, a young woman coming to terms with her asexuality (that is, not finding anyone sexually attractive). Alice’s talent for writing about these complicated and sensitive things is one of the reasons her books are so popular! 7. Heartstopper on Netflix As Alice’s work became more popular Heartstopper was adapted into a Netflix series, with Alice herself doing a lot of the writing and creative direction. Her involvement made sure that the show stayed true to the comic’s spirit. The series has got a lot of praise for its realistic take on young queer love, mental health themes, and for casting actors who perfectly match Alice’s characters. 8. Small Town Author Alice grew up in Kent, England, and her small-town upbringing is often reflected in her books. The setting of quiet, suburban English towns makes her stories relatable and true to the real world she grew up in. The British cultural references might not be glamourous, but they show that these tales of love are above all, very normal! 9. She’s super relatable Because Alice started writing so young, her work is really relatable! She got her first book published in her teens, so absolutely understands what it’s like to be a teenager in the 2020s. The way she talks about stress, exams and friendship trouble is all based on her own experiences, which makes it all the more believable! 10. She loves to travel The tough parts of teenage life aren’t her only inspiration, and her love of travelling is also a big influence on her books! In I Was Born for This , the story follows a young adult who suddenly becomes a big rock star! The story is a bittersweet tale of fame and dealing with fans and touring at a young age. As a famous writer this is something she understands well – even if she isn’t stage-diving at 3am! 11. Mental Health Alice’s novels often deal with mental health themes in a sensitive and insightful way. In Solitaire , Tori’s struggle with depression is shown honestly, while Heartstopper tackles Charlie’s experiences with anxiety and self-acceptance. By talking about mental health openly and without shame, Alice’s work reaches out to readers who might have struggled with these things too! 12. She loves dogs! Alice is known for her love of dogs and has posted about it on social media. This love of pets comes through in Heartstopper , where Nick Nelson’s cute dog Nellie is a big part of the story. Alice’s books are full of little details like this that make the characters more relatable, and anyway – why wouldn’t you put dogs in your story? 13. She knows her stuff Alice studied English Literature at university, and her academic background had a big effect on her. Her novels include philosophical themes and deep, profound questions that shows she’s thought not just about the storyline, but what growing up might mean in the widest possible way. This is a long way of saying that yes – she’s pretty brainy! 14. She’s written a LOT! At a young age, Alice has already written a lot of novels, including Radio Silence , I Was Born for This , and Loveless . Each book touches on friendship, identity, mental health, and self-discovery. Most writers spend years and years trying to discover their style, and often struggle to make their books a success. But Alice’s work grabbed the book world’s attention almost immediately! 15. The best is yet to come Alice’s writing career has got off to an amazing start – but she’s not going to slow down! After the success of her Netflix we’re excited to see what comes next! More books? TV shows? What about movies? Whatever the future has in store for Alice we’re all here for it!Valuation and Earnings This table compares TruGolf and its rivals revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. TruGolf’s rivals have higher revenue and earnings than TruGolf. TruGolf is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its rivals, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry. Volatility and Risk TruGolf has a beta of -0.67, suggesting that its stock price is 167% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, TruGolf’s rivals have a beta of 1.51, suggesting that their average stock price is 51% more volatile than the S&P 500. Profitability Institutional & Insider Ownership 3.2% of TruGolf shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 49.9% of shares of all “Sporting & athletic goods, not elsewhere classified” companies are owned by institutional investors. 37.2% of TruGolf shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 20.2% of shares of all “Sporting & athletic goods, not elsewhere classified” companies are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. Summary TruGolf rivals beat TruGolf on 5 of the 9 factors compared. TruGolf Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) TruGolf Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiary, engages in the development and sale of indoor golf simulator hardware under the TruGolf Nevada brand for residential and commercial markets in the United States. It also provides E6 Connect software for use on other companies' hardware. The company was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Centerville, Utah. Receive News & Ratings for TruGolf Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TruGolf and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
COLUMBIA, South Carolina (AP) — Victims' families and others affected by crimes that resulted in federal death row convictions shared a range of emotions on Monday, from relief to anger, after President Joe Biden commuted dozens of the sentences . Biden converted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The inmates include people who were convicted in the slayings of police, military officers and federal prisoners and guards. Others were involved in deadly robberies and drug deals. Three inmates will remain on federal death row: Dylann Roof , convicted of the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; the 2013 Boston Marathon Bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev , and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of life Synagogue in 2018 , the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history. Opponents of the death penalty lauded Biden for a decision they'd long sought. Supporters of Donald Trump , a vocal advocate of expanding capital punishment, criticized the move as an assault to common decency just weeks before the president-elect takes office. Donnie Oliverio, a retired Ohio police officer whose partner was killed by an inmate whose death sentence was commuted, said the execution of “the person who killed my police partner and best friend would have brought me no peace.” “The president has done what is right here,” Oliverio said in a statement also issued by the White House, “and what is consistent with the faith he and I share.” Heather Turner, whose mother, Donna Major, was killed in a bank robbery in South Carolina in 2017, called Biden's commutation of the killer's sentence a “clear gross abuse of power” in a Facebook post, adding that the weeks she spent in court with the hope of justice were now “just a waste of time.” “At no point did the president consider the victims,” Turner wrote. “He, and his supporters, have blood on their hands.” There has always been a broad range of opinions on what punishment Roof should face from the families of the nine people killed and the survivors of the massacre at the Mother Emanuel AME Church. Many forgave him, but some say they can’t forget and their forgiveness doesn’t mean they don’t want to see him put to death for what he did. Felicia Sanders survived the shooting shielding her granddaughter while watching Roof kill her son, Tywanza, and her aunt, Susie Jackson. Sanders brought her bullet-torn bloodstained Bible to his sentencing and said then she can’t even close her eyes to pray because Roof started firing during the closing prayer of Bible study that night. In a text message to her lawyer, Andy Savage, Sanders called Biden’s decision to not spare Roof’s life a wonderful Christmas gift. Michael Graham, whose sister, Cynthia Hurd, was killed, told The Associated Press that Roof’s lack of remorse and simmering white nationalism in the country means he is the kind of dangerous and evil person the death penalty is intended for. “This was a crime against a race of people," Graham said. “It didn’t matter who was there, only that they were Black.” But the Rev. Sharon Richer, who was Tywanza Sanders’ cousin and whose mother, Ethel Lance, was killed, criticized Biden for not sparing Roof and clearing out all of death row. She said every time Roof’s case comes up through numerous appeals it is like reliving the massacre all over again. “I need the President to understand that when you put a killer on death row, you also put their victims' families in limbo with the false promise that we must wait until there is an execution before we can begin to heal,” Richer said in a statement. Richer, a board member of Death Penalty Action, which seeks to abolish capital punishment, was driven to tears by conflicting emotions during a Zoom news conference Monday. “The families are left to be hostages for the years and years of appeals that are to come,” Richer said. “I’ve got to stay away from the news today. I’ve got to turn the TV off — because whose face am I going to see?” Biden is giving more attention to the three inmates he chose not to spare, something they all wanted as a part of what drove them to kill, said Abraham Bonowitz, Death Penalty Action’s executive director. “These three racists and terrorists who have been left on death row came to their crimes from political motivations. When Donald Trump gets to execute them what will really be happening is they will be given a global platform for their agenda of hatred,” Bonowitz said. Biden had faced pressure from advocacy organizations to commute federal death sentences, and several praised him for taking action in his final month in office. Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the ACLU, said in a statement that Biden “has shown our country — and the rest of the world — that the brutal and inhumane policies of our past do not belong in our future.” Republicans, including Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, on the other hand, criticized the move — and argued its moral ground was shaky given the three exceptions. “Once again, Democrats side with depraved criminals over their victims, public order, and common decency,” Cotton wrote on X. “Democrats can’t even defend Biden’s outrageous decision as some kind of principled, across-the-board opposition to the death penalty since he didn’t commute the three most politically toxic cases.” Liz Murrill, Louisiana's Republican attorney general, criticized the commuted sentence of Len Davis, a former New Orleans policeman convicted of orchestrating the killing of a woman who had filed a complaint against him. “We can’t trust the Feds to get justice for victims of heinous crimes, so it’s long past time for the state to get it done,” the tough-on-crime Republican said in a written statement to the AP. Two men whose sentences were commuted were Norris Holder and Billie Jerome Allen, on death row for opening fire with assault rifles during a 1997 bank robbery in St. Louis, killing a guard, 46-year-old Richard Heflin. Holder’s attorney, Madeline Cohen, said in an email that Holder, who is Black, was sentenced to death by an all-white jury. She said his case “reflects many of the system’s flaws,” and thanked Biden for commuting his sentence. “Norris’ case exemplifies the racial bias and arbitrariness that led the President to commute federal death sentences,” Cohen said. “Norris has always been deeply remorseful for the pain his actions caused, and we hope this decision brings some measure of closure to Richard Heflin’s family.” Swenson reported from Seattle. Associated Press writers Jim Salter in O'Fallon, Missouri, and Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, contributed to this report.
Anitria Odum started 4 Every Occasion Cakes and Cupcakes 11 years ago after a mid-life career change. The medical field did not inspire her, so she left to find her passion. In her years as a wedding planner, she says her brides were always asking for specialty cookies. When she did not know anyone who made them, she set out to learn on her own. A serendipitous class at a local craft store was focused on cookies, so even though she wanted to do specialty cakes instead, she took the cookie class anyway. One frustrating night of homework for class led her to online videos, and one after another, she says over time that is the way she learned to decorate cakes. Since then, she has become an instructor herself, and has legions of regular customers for all of her baked goods, especially the custom 3-D cakes. The cakes look amazingly realistic, and need to be ordered at least 2 weeks in advance. 4 Every Occasion Cakes & Cupcakes Bakery | Facebook | Instagram 1821 Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111 215-722-2250 custom cakes: by appointment only shop hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 10:00am-2:00pm pop-ups: follow social media for dates and locationsTitans keep losing as coach Brian Callahan tries to show some progress
NoneOTTAWA—A Liberal promise to dole out $250 cheques to millions of people is now in limbo thanks to two opposition parties who are demanding the money flow to more cash-strapped Canadians. The NDP’s Jagmeet Singh signalled Monday that he wants to see eligibility for the cheques extended beyond working Canadians to include seniors, people with disabilities, those receiving unemployment benefits and anyone — particularly students — who joined the workforce for the first time last year. He wasn’t the only leader to push for more to secure the swift passage of the measure: the Bloc Québécois’ Yves-François Blanchet told reporters in French that those “who have actually worked all their lives” must be included, describing the cash handouts as a crude move to win votes. The demands come as Justin Trudeau’s rivals seek to leverage last week’s unveiling of a multibillion-dollar affordability package for their own political gain. The GST cut would be applied to children’s clothes, toys, diapers and car seats. The Liberals have pledged to introduce a two-month GST cut on a number of grocery and holiday essentials, among other items. They would also send $250 to Canadians who worked in 2023, filed their tax return for that year by the end of 2024, and earned up to $150,000. All told, the measures would cost $6.3 billion. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on Monday justified the measures, in part, as a way to combat what she called a “vibecession,” or the “disconnect” between Canadians’ feelings about the economy and broader, positive economic signals. “Canadians aren’t feeling it, and that is shaping their economic behaviour in ways that are not great for the Canadian economy,” she told reporters. But the Liberals need opposition support to pass the package of pledges — and to pause a that has brought most parliamentary business to a standstill. Singh said Monday he was prepared to back the Trudeau government’s planned GST holiday, after he proposed a more comprehensive version of the tax cut one week earlier. “We want to see the GST holiday happen right away. We know that people are feeling squeezed. They need a break this winter. So let’s pass the GST holiday. And the Liberals need to fix the cheques,” he said. Singh stopped short of stating whether he would block the passage of rebates if the government introduces that portion of the legislation unchanged. But a senior NDP source who spoke to the Star on the condition they not be named said the Liberals won’t be able to force the NDP to back the measure until it meets the party’s expectations. The New Democrats have said they would introduce a so-called “programming” motion to temporarily suspend a Conservative-led effort to stall House of Commons proceedings. Begun in late September, it is a bid to compel the Liberals to release more documents related to a scandal-riddled — and now-defunct — green technology funding agency. The pause would theoretically allow the Liberals’ legislation to be debated and passed in a single day. The NDP source said the party may not even move forward with such a motion until their demands are met, saying “there’s no possibility, really, of this going to a vote until they get that part repaired.” Two senior Liberal sources with knowledge of discussions between the government and the NDP said talks are ongoing and that the GST pause and the $250 payments could be contained in one piece of legislation or two. It could also be separate from other legislation that may come out of the fall economic statement. One insider, on the condition of anonymity, said “it depends on how any agreement comes together, including on who all is included” in the measures. The Conservatives’ filibuster has prevented the Liberals from scheduling the presentation of its economic update, and allowing MPs to vote on the government’s supplementary estimates, which requires parliament’s approval for more than $21 billion in spending on a range of measures. Freeland said Monday that the government is having “energetic conversations” with other parties, but did not say when the legislation to enact the affordability package will be tabled. Trudeau, in a TVA interview in Montreal on Monday, defended the decision to offer GST cuts that he insisted will benefit everyone, and to send $250 cheques to certain Canadians. Trudeau said his government has already done a lot for seniors, listing enhanced old-age payments for those over 75, and the extension of publicly-paid dental care to all seniors. He also said child-care supports have helped families, and noted the government has not extended free dental care to “40-year-old workers” who also didn’t have access to other government supports but will now receive a bit of relief to “help them with ... the cost of living.” The prime minister said Ottawa can afford the measures because Canada’s economic indicators are “hyper-positive” vis-à-vis G7 partners, with Canada having the lowest deficit, and receiving higher direct foreign investment than its peers. But, he added, many Canadians are still feeling squeezed. Both Freeland and Procurement Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said Monday the one-time, temporary measures will not create any new “structural” deficit, meaning it won’t add year-over-year spending to the annual budget which is already in the red. In a statement to the Star, Freeland’s office said the $250 payments will be “clearly labelled” as the affordability measure they are intended to be, whether delivered via direct deposit or by cheque. It may also go to those whose income comes from working or from investment income, the statement said. “The $250 rebate is for all Canadians who worked in 2023 and earned up to $150,000 in net income. That means revenue from all sources, minus your allowable deductions,” said Freeland spokesperson Katherine Cuplinskas.
Relief, defiance, anger: Families and advocates react to Biden's death row commutations
Axed Strictly star Jamie Borthwick breaks down in tears after fans fumed ‘the wrong person was sent home’Trump taps a Fox News personality, a surgeon and a former Congressman to lead public health agencies
A Donegal -owned bus company has taken to social media after a group on a pub tour vandalised one of their vehicles. Taking to Facebook on Sunday, McGettigan Travel in Letterkenny shared images of the culprits, revealing they tried to ‘set the bus on fire.’ The owners of the company have given the vandals 24hrs to come forward, asking them to apologise to their driver for the ‘threatening behaviour and abuse.’ The post urged those in the locality to share the blurred out images, hopeful the culprits will be brought to justice. ‘PLEASE SHARE,’ the post began. ‘Last night, on a pub tour, our bus was badly vandalised (window broke, etc) from a group of young boys who rented the bus.. these boys also attempted to burn our driver with lit cigarette butt’s while also throwing these lit butts at our dash trying to set the bus on fire...’ Issuing an ultimatum, they added; ‘We are giving these men until the end of the day to pay for all the damage, or we will be naming the exact culprits.. ‘We also want an apology issued to our driver, who was absolutely terrified and did not deserve this threatening behaviour and abuse..’ Many were quick to take to the comments and offer their support, with a number of people calling for the vandals to make themselves known. ‘The poor driver!!! Hope he is ok.. What is wrong with these young fellas, what happened to going out, having a good night and going home? There is no excuse for this behaviour, name, shame and press charges show that this behaviour is not acceptable!! An apology is not going to help the poor driver who will be afraid to work at night again,’ one user wrote. ‘Should be reported to Garda. Only way a lesson MIGHT be learned,’ a second shared. ‘Unbelievable behaviour, hope that your driver is okay and the young men involved regret their actions in the cold light of day,’ a third added.Two B.C. critical mineral recycling technology companies announced plans today to build a plant in Texas that would produce magnet metals from e-waste. The American company, HyProMag, has completed a feasibility study for the construction of a US$125 million magnet recycling plant in Dallas Fort Worth, Texas. HyProMag has been commercializing a process for recycling magnets -- Hydrogen Processing of Magnet Scrap (HPMS) -- developed by the University of Birmingham Magnetic Materials Group. HyProMag is owned by Maginito Ltd subsidiary of two B.C. headquartered companies, CoTec Holdings Corp. (TSX-V:CTH, OTCQB:CTHCF) and Mkango Resources Ltd. (TSX-V:MKA, AIM:MKA). In a feasibility study released today, CoTec revealed plans for a recycling plant in Texas that would produce “permanent magnets” from e-waste – mainly from hard drive discs from computers. Recycling critical minerals, including rare earths and magnet metals, is becoming a security issue for the U.S., Europe and other Western countries and allied nations. “The Chinese have been taking steps recently to restrict various strategic materials,” CoTec CEO Julian Treger told BIV News. “Most recently the Russians have done something on uranium. And it’s just a matter of time before there are further restrictions on rare earths magnets. And they are crucial not only for strategic purposes such as night goggles and ballistic missile guidance systems, but also for drones, robots and super necessary in the hard drives that power AI. So, sooner or later, the ability to generate a domestic recycled supply of these materials is going to be very, very valuable.” The proposed Texas plant would produce 750 metric tonnes annually of recycled neodymium iron boron (NdFeB) – otherwise known as permanent magnets -- over a 40 year operating life, according to the feasibility study. Given the national security concerns over securing domestic supplies of critical minerals and materials, the companies will be looking for grants from the American government to help build the plant Treger said. “We’re also going button down the feedstock supply, and we’re engaging with a number of people in the U.S. industry who can supply us with the waste that we need. And then there are a number of people who want to be customers. All of that needs to be buttoned down before we move to the financing phase. Obviously that will depend on how successful we are in obtaining grants.” CoTec is focused on identifying and acquiring mineral recovery technology. CoTec’s senior management includes former executives and engineers from major mining companies like Rio Tinto and Anglo Pacific Group Plc, and its board of directors includes Bob Harward -- a retired U.S. Navy Vice Admiral and former Deputy Commander of the United States Central Command. “We, as CoTec, have looked at 400 technologies,” Treger said. “We’ve invested in six, so far. We are very picky about things that are really category killers and really move the needle and are disruptive.” “It’s an attempt to invent the 21 Century responsible commodity extraction business – super green, very low carbon, low cost – and finally deploying the disruptive technologies which are out there (but) which the major mining companies haven’t done so far because of inertia,” Treger said. Making permanent magnets from neodymium, iron and boron is a complex, painstaking process, Treger said. The HyProMag process extracts the NdFeB from spent magnets, rendering them into a powder and then uses a process for reconstituting the magnets in what Teger describes as a “short-looped process.” “We don’t process the individual elements – we just recycle the mix,” Treger said. “It’s a way for the West to basically use its embedded, vast historic supply of magnets in a really strategic way to be much more self-sufficient, which is why it’s obviously of great interest to the U.S. and the Defence sector. “The short-looped process is a short-cut getting these things made and produced, whereas most other recycling opportunities I see are looking to recycle the individual elements of the rare earths, which is very, very difficult thing to do.” Other technologies the company has invested in include copper and iron extraction from copper and iron mine waste. One of the companies CoTec has invested in is Ceibo, which developed a copper recovery technology that Glencore recently announced it will be using at the Lomas Bayas copper mine in Chile. Treger said there is potential for a lot of copper and iron waste recovery in Canada. “We have a major interest in waste,” Treger said. “In Canada alone there are 10,000 closed mines, with waste associated with them, which have enormous liabilities. “We are looking at an iron ore recycling project in Quebec to see how we can scale this and work with the various provinces to minimize their rehabilitation coat and use the historic legacy of all this waste we have hanging around to supply the materials that the west is going to need.”
Prospera Financial Services Inc Increases Stock Position in NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NRG)
By MEAD GRUVER and AMY BETH HANSON, Associated Press A judge on Monday rejected a request to block a San Jose State women’s volleyball team member from playing in a conference tournament on grounds that she is transgender. Monday’s ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews in Denver will allow the player, who has played all season, to continue competing in the Mountain West Conference women’s championship scheduled for later this week in Las Vegas. The ruling comes after a lawsuit was filed by nine current players who are suing the Mountain West Conference to challenge the league’s policies for allowing transgender players to participate. The players argued that letting her compete was a safety risk and unfair. While some media have reported those and other details, neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans women’s volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player’s name because she has not publicly commented on her gender identity. School officials also have declined an interview request with the player. Judge Crews referred to the athlete as an “alleged transgender” player in his ruling and noted that no defendant disputed that San Jose State rosters a transgender woman volleyball player. He said the players who filed the complaint could have sought relief much earlier, noting that the individual universities had acknowledged that not playing their games against San Jose State this season would result in a forfeit in league standings. He also said injunctions are meant to preserve the status quo. The conference policy regarding forfeiting for refusing to play against a team with a transgender player had been in effect since 2022 and the San Jose State player has been on the roster since 2022 – making that the status quo. The player competed at the college level three previous seasons, including two for San Jose State, drawing little attention. This season’s awareness of her identity led to an uproar among some players, pundits, parents and politicians in a political campaign year. The tournament starts Wednesday and continues Friday and Saturday. San Jose State is seeded second. The judge’s order maintains the seedings and pairings for the tournament. Several teams refused to play against San Jose State during the season, earning losses in the official standings. Boise State and Wyoming each had two forfeits while Utah State and Nevada both had one. Southern Utah, a member of the Western Athletic Conference, was first to cancel against San Jose State this year. Nevada’s players stated they “refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes,” without providing further details. Crews served as a magistrate judge in Colorado’s U.S. District Court for more than five years before President Joe Biden appointed him to serve as a federal judge in January of this year. Gruver reported from Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Hanson from Helena, Montana.COLUMBIA, South Carolina (AP) — Victims' families and others affected by crimes that resulted in federal death row convictions shared a range of emotions on Monday, from relief to anger, after President Joe Biden commuted dozens of the sentences . Biden converted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The inmates include people who were convicted in the slayings of police, military officers and federal prisoners and guards. Others were involved in deadly robberies and drug deals. Three inmates will remain on federal death row: Dylann Roof , convicted of the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; the 2013 Boston Marathon Bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev , and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of life Synagogue in 2018 , the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history. Opponents of the death penalty lauded Biden for a decision they'd long sought. Supporters of Donald Trump , a vocal advocate of expanding capital punishment, criticized the move as an assault to common decency just weeks before the president-elect takes office. Donnie Oliverio, a retired Ohio police officer whose partner was killed by an inmate whose death sentence was commuted, said the execution of “the person who killed my police partner and best friend would have brought me no peace.” “The president has done what is right here,” Oliverio said in a statement also issued by the White House, “and what is consistent with the faith he and I share.” Heather Turner, whose mother, Donna Major, was killed in a bank robbery in South Carolina in 2017, called Biden's commutation of the killer's sentence a “clear gross abuse of power” in a Facebook post, adding that the weeks she spent in court with the hope of justice were now “just a waste of time.” “At no point did the president consider the victims,” Turner wrote. “He, and his supporters, have blood on their hands.” There has always been a broad range of opinions on what punishment Roof should face from the families of the nine people killed and the survivors of the massacre at the Mother Emanuel AME Church. Many forgave him, but some say they can’t forget and their forgiveness doesn’t mean they don’t want to see him put to death for what he did. Felicia Sanders survived the shooting shielding her granddaughter while watching Roof kill her son, Tywanza, and her aunt, Susie Jackson. Sanders brought her bullet-torn bloodstained Bible to his sentencing and said then she can’t even close her eyes to pray because Roof started firing during the closing prayer of Bible study that night. In a text message to her lawyer, Andy Savage, Sanders called Biden’s decision to not spare Roof’s life a wonderful Christmas gift. Michael Graham, whose sister, Cynthia Hurd, was killed, told The Associated Press that Roof’s lack of remorse and simmering white nationalism in the country means he is the kind of dangerous and evil person the death penalty is intended for. “This was a crime against a race of people," Graham said. “It didn’t matter who was there, only that they were Black.” But the Rev. Sharon Richer, who was Tywanza Sanders’ cousin and whose mother, Ethel Lance, was killed, criticized Biden for not sparing Roof and clearing out all of death row. She said every time Roof’s case comes up through numerous appeals it is like reliving the massacre all over again. “I need the President to understand that when you put a killer on death row, you also put their victims' families in limbo with the false promise that we must wait until there is an execution before we can begin to heal,” Richer said in a statement. Richer, a board member of Death Penalty Action, which seeks to abolish capital punishment, was driven to tears by conflicting emotions during a Zoom news conference Monday. “The families are left to be hostages for the years and years of appeals that are to come,” Richer said. “I’ve got to stay away from the news today. I’ve got to turn the TV off — because whose face am I going to see?” Biden is giving more attention to the three inmates he chose not to spare, something they all wanted as a part of what drove them to kill, said Abraham Bonowitz, Death Penalty Action’s executive director. “These three racists and terrorists who have been left on death row came to their crimes from political motivations. When Donald Trump gets to execute them what will really be happening is they will be given a global platform for their agenda of hatred,” Bonowitz said. Biden had faced pressure from advocacy organizations to commute federal death sentences, and several praised him for taking action in his final month in office. Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the ACLU, said in a statement that Biden “has shown our country — and the rest of the world — that the brutal and inhumane policies of our past do not belong in our future.” Republicans, including Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, on the other hand, criticized the move — and argued its moral ground was shaky given the three exceptions. “Once again, Democrats side with depraved criminals over their victims, public order, and common decency,” Cotton wrote on X. “Democrats can’t even defend Biden’s outrageous decision as some kind of principled, across-the-board opposition to the death penalty since he didn’t commute the three most politically toxic cases.” Liz Murrill, Louisiana's Republican attorney general, criticized the commuted sentence of Len Davis, a former New Orleans policeman convicted of orchestrating the killing of a woman who had filed a complaint against him. “We can’t trust the Feds to get justice for victims of heinous crimes, so it’s long past time for the state to get it done,” the tough-on-crime Republican said in a written statement to the AP. Two men whose sentences were commuted were Norris Holder and Billie Jerome Allen, on death row for opening fire with assault rifles during a 1997 bank robbery in St. Louis, killing a guard, 46-year-old Richard Heflin. Holder’s attorney, Madeline Cohen, said in an email that Holder, who is Black, was sentenced to death by an all-white jury. She said his case “reflects many of the system’s flaws,” and thanked Biden for commuting his sentence. “Norris’ case exemplifies the racial bias and arbitrariness that led the President to commute federal death sentences,” Cohen said. “Norris has always been deeply remorseful for the pain his actions caused, and we hope this decision brings some measure of closure to Richard Heflin’s family.” Swenson reported from Seattle. Associated Press writers Jim Salter in O'Fallon, Missouri, and Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, contributed to this report.
Alabama Army veteran sentenced to probation for milestone conviction in Oath Keepers sedition plot
Varsity Maine football honor roll, Nov. 25NoneNone