California lawmakers begin special session to protect state laws from second Trump presidency
DALLAS — In 2025, most Texans will no longer be required to have their vehicles inspected . But you’ll still have to pay the fee. Drivers in 17 counties, however, will still face annual tests because of emissions requirements. Those counties are Brazoria, Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, El Paso, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Johnson, Kaufman, Montgomery, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, Travis and Williamson. Those who support the change argued the inspections were a costly waste of time that modern vehicles make obsolete. Those who want to keep inspections argue they help keep drivers safe by flagging vehicles with problems. It turns out that a few years ago, the state actually sponsored a study that concluded vehicle inspections were not only highly effective but should likely be expanded. That study’s author recently joined Y’all-itics and told the Jasons he’s surprised lawmakers dumped the program. Dr. Michael Murphy says when inspections temporarily went away a few years ago, bad things happened. “I will just say this, during the pandemic, when vehicle safety inspection stations were closed for a period of time, the number of defect vehicle fatalities, type A and Type B injuries, increased,” Dr. Murphy said. Dr. Murphy says he hopes law enforcement will continue to document crashes that involved vehicles with defects to see if those numbers rise once again. And he stresses that just because the state won’t require an inspection, drivers can still get their vehicles checked out on their own. Dr. Murphy says when they were talking to people for the study, there was one group in particular that didn’t think inspections were necessary. “The people in our survey that said they didn't think the inspection program was needed were primarily males. And in the comment section, they said, I, blankety-blank, know how to take care of my car. I own eight vehicles, motorcycles, pickup trucks, cars, I know how to take care of them,” he said. “And I understand that. I'd like to be that mechanically sharp. But what they weren't considering is not everyone is like that. Not everyone has the physical ability to do a vehicle inspection.”As Trump returns analysts see defence stocks risingDefending national champion South Carolina is practicing without forward Ashlyn Watkins, who remains suspended following her Aug. 31 arrest. "The status is still the same," head coach Dawn Staley said Tuesday, the day after the Gamecocks' first official team practice. "Nothing has moved yet. We're not going to move until the situation changes." Watkins was charged with first-degree assault and kidnapping following an incident at a student housing and retail center. The arrest triggered an automatic team suspension under athletic department policy. Watkins, a 6-foot-3 junior, averaged 9.2 points and 7.4 rebounds in 38 games last season for the undefeated national champions. The Columbia, S.C., native is due to appear in Richland County court on Oct. 25, less than two weeks before South Carolina opens the season against Michigan on Nov. 4 in Las Vegas. Per her arrest warrant, she allegedly picked up the individual and carried her without her consent, then "grabbed the victim's head and forced her to walk down the hall, thus controlling her movement while preventing her from leaving." This came after Watkins allegedly assaulted the individual by "forcefully grabbing her face, pulling her by her arms, and pushing her." The individual was later treated for non-life-threatening injuries after allegedly escaping and pulling a fire alarm. Watkins was released on a $30,000 personal recognizance bond. "We believe once everybody has a full grasp of what happened, this will end up being a misunderstanding," Watkins' lawyer Todd Rutherford told WLTX earlier this month. "What we know for certain is that Ashlyn did not assault anyone and she did not kidnap anyone." --Field Level Media
Georgetown 100, Albany (NY) 68Bihar Civil Service Protest: Why Prashant Kishor, And More Than 700 Others Face Police CasesYears of idiotic generation-bashing have led to this particularly stupid statement: “People don’t want to work.” Great minds will no doubt come up with a dumber assessment but let’s stick to this one. Let’s start with the obvious. WRONG. They don’t want to work for nothing, and they want to have lives. The constant bleating self-righteous headlines tell a long irritating story of ignorance and ineptitude. Wages are now useless. The workplace environment is often hellish and absurdly stressful. People turn over fast due to multiple good reasons. The paranoid penny-pinching surveillance-obsessed management culture is utterly insufferable for many. Unrealistic and absurdly costly demands like “back to the office” don’t help people struggling to pay rent, health, and power. You can pay for your long time-consuming commute or eat, apparently. This imbecility effectively turns 8 hour days into far more expensive 12 hour days and bites deeply into wages and savings. That can never be sustainable in this massively overpriced economy. Thanks to the cost of living , the ordinary job, particularly a low-wage job is now a form of extended torture, and it looks like it’s about to get a lot worse. It’s not a complete mystery how this happened. The banal, simplistic certainties of jobs and careers were completely blindsided. A job now means nothing and a career is, at best, likely to be patchy. People have been infamously working more than one job just to meet rent and living costs for well over a decade. Food banks are supporting incredible numbers of people . According to one person I spoke to from a food bank, they say more people should be using them. Contrast this cluster of stupidities with the “one job was enough to raise a family and own a house” of 60 years ago. That was pretty much true. You couldn’t call it flashy, but it worked. People had lives, too. The society was healthier, crime was much lower, and there were actual opportunities. You could at least convince yourself that you had a credible future. Not anymore. The Millennials and Gen Z don’t and can’t believe it. They can’t own homes, and it’s a miserable, unhygienic, and hyper-neurotic living environment in so many ways. How are they supposed to achieve anything? They’re trying to live in an economic environment that no longer functions. Ground-level data is all bad. If you look at the global medication stats , you’ll see that things aren’t great. Some of these meds are even dietary supplements, used to manage deficiencies in basic nutrition. Gen Alpha will be totally feral, with so many good reasons. They have nothing but economic hardship to look forward to, particularly with AI hoovering up so many jobs. They have no reason to do anything but go into survival mode. “The system” is effectively dead. I doubt you could convince the Mills, Z or Alphas that the system ever worked because the system has basically killed their chances. We’ll leave out the politics. Suffice to say that the word “politics” is now a synonym for “insanity” For progressives like me, that’s incredibly infuriating. Who told you sanctimonious morons to just babble on while civilization collapsed? You’re as bad as they are. What’s needed is the exact opposite, The world needs a lot of competence on the job. That’s what jobs are supposed to do, and who’s supposed to be doing them, in case the topic ever comes up. Not ridiculous greedy little nobodies who screw up everything they touch and get overpaid for it. A gang member said years ago that there was no point in working a low-wage day job when he could make thousands a day illegally. Sound familiar? I remember hearing that 50 years ago. So let’s get back to this “Nobody wants to work” idiocy. In the absence of leadership which has taken mediocrity to new heights of ineptitude, what are you supposed to do? The only thing you can do. Create a life for yourself. Go indie . Be a contractor or whatever so you can work on your own terms doing work you’re good at. Just make sure you get paid. Get useful skills like a trade or something that can’t be automated overnight. Be your own boss, if for no other reason than it’s much less annoying. It can be quite frustrating and worrying working with “whatever” in the market. if you know how to hustle, you can work on your terms. Good luck. Editor-at-Large based in Sydney, Australia.
As part of the Affordable Care Act, known by most as Obamacare, several new taxes were enacted to help fund the program. Among these new taxes is the Net Investment Income Tax that became effective on Jan. 1, 2013. This regulation imposes a 3.8% surtax on the net investment income of certain individuals, estates and trusts that have income above the statutory threshold amounts. The key consideration, however, is what constitutes net investment income and which taxpayers are affected. The threshold amount for individuals is based on filing status and is not indexed for inflation. The threshold amount is $125,000 for taxpayers filing married filing separately; $200,000 for taxpayers filing as single or head of household; and $250,000 for those with a filing status of married filing jointly or qualifying widow(er) with a dependent child. Individuals will owe the additional net investment income tax if their modified adjusted gross income exceeds these figures. Modified adjusted gross is defined as adjusted gross income plus foreign earned income less deductions and exclusions related that foreign earned income. In general, investment income includes, but is not limited to the following: interest income, dividend income, capital gains income, rental and royalty income, income from non-qualified annuities, income from businesses involved in trading of financial instruments or commodities and businesses that are passive activities to the taxpayer. Gains from the sale of stocks, bonds and mutual funds are subject to this tax. In addition capital gain distributions from mutual funds as well as gains from the sale of investment real estate including gains from the sale of a second home that is not a primary residence are also subject to this tax. Gains from the sales of interests in partnerships and S corporations in which the owner is not materially participation are also subject to this tax. To determine net investment income, investment income from these categories is reduced by investment expenses such as early-withdrawal penalties, interest expense, adviser fees, directly related rental and royalty expenses, and state and local taxes allocable to items included in investment income. Items such as wages, unemployment, social security benefits, alimony, tax-exempt interest income, self-employment income and retirement income are all examples of income exempted from this net investment income tax. In addition to these exemptions for income which are not investment related the Code Section 1411 excludes non-passive trade or business income from this net investment tax. As a result, there are renewed discussions on the definition of material participation. In other words, dividends received from a business where you are actively involved and meet the IRS definition of material participation would be exempted from this net investment income tax. Whereas, dividends received from a company where you are an investor and do not meet the definition of material participation will be subject to the tax. Form 8960 is used to report the net investment income tax. This form is a separate schedule that ultimately flows up into the individual income tax return, the estate return, or the trust return as applicable. The corresponding tax is paid for individuals as part of their 1040 Form, while estates and trusts include this Form 8960 as part of their 1041 return. The Net Investment Income Tax is separate from the Additional Medicare Tax, which also went into effect on Jan. 1, 2013. You may be subject to both taxes, but not on the same type of income. The 0.9 percent Additional Medicare Tax applies to individuals’ wages, compensation, and self-employment income over certain thresholds, but it does not apply to income items included in Net Investment Income. Many taxpayers may not be impacted by these new taxes on net investment income. However, all taxpayers should be aware of the continuing complexity that is placed in our tax code and the tax preparation process. Despite the ongoing rhetoric from Congress on the need for tax simplification, virtually all legislation in the area of taxes continues to be in the opposite direction. Paul Pahoresky is the owner of PRP & Associates. He can be reached at 440-974-1040 extension 214 or at paul@prpassoc.com . Consult your tax advisor about your specific situation for additional information and guidance on these topics.
Keir Starmer branded ‘deeply embarrassing’ over Chagos Islands speechSpotting and cruising through spectacular Australian landscapes are among the things Greg Esnouf loves about being a . or signup to continue reading "I'm out in the bush today; I'm driving around, I just saw an ... and I showed my guests some wallabies," he said. "I'm in the in Western Victoria, which is magic country and I'm enjoying it as much as they are because I just love being out and about and showing people things." As president of Tour Guides Australia, Mr Esnouf welcomed the federal government listing tour guides on its Occupation Shortage List. "Tour guides are Australia's on-the-ground ambassadors, bringing our natural environment and local culture to life," he said. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census data, about 39 per cent of tour guides in Australia are aged 55 and over. Mr Esnouf, 68, of Melbourne, has been a tour guide for about 15 years. He previously worked in emergency services and saw tour guiding as a way to do a "change of life experience". He started doing it part-time alongside his day job and has since transitioned to tour guiding being his career. Ms Esnouf said it's not uncommon for people who have been in stressful corporate roles to later become tour guides. "They know the local area because they've generally lived there for a long time, they've got stories that they can write to [that go] back a long time because they've lived that experience," he said. Mr Esnoug said mature people were well suited to the role as they could talk about their own experiences as well as the history and culture. He said there was a mix of employment opportunities, for example being a sole trader like himself, or working for a company. "It can be whatever you want it to be, depending on how you operate and what you want to get out of it," he said. Mr Esnouf said good money could be made from the profession if people wanted it. He said tour guiding is an unregulated occupation in Australia, but it is something he would like to see happen for quality and safety purposes. Tour Guides Australia offers a three-day course to help new guides acquire the essential skills, plus a Professional Tour Guide Accreditation Program. Share your thoughts in a . DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Advertisement Advertisement
Pollies, peace deals, and the unravelling of a billionaire: The WA civil court rows that dominated 2024
HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Texans made mistakes in every facet of the game Sunday against the Tennessee Titans to lose for the third time in four games. C.J. Stroud threw two interceptions, the defense gave up multiple big passing plays and Ka′imi Fairbairn missed a 28-yard field goal that would . “Just a disappointing loss for us,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “We didn’t do anything well enough to win this game. Out of all the positives that we did have, there were way too many negatives, too many negative plays.” for a touchdown in the third quarter and the Texans tied a franchise record with eight sacks. Danielle Hunter led the group with a season-high three sacks and Will Anderson Jr. added two in his return after missing two games with an ankle injury. But the offense sputtered for most of the game as Joe Mixon was held to 22 yards on 14 carries. But Ryans refused to blame the offense for the loss. “Our offense did plenty,” Ryans said. “They gave us enough points. On defense, we have to be able to stop them.” Chig Okonkwo grabbed a short pass and rumbled 70 yards for a touchdown to put the Titans (3-8) up 30-27 with 9 1/2 minutes remaining. Safety Eric Murray missed a tackle that would have stopped him near midfield. It was the last of three big passing plays the Titans had Sunday. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine got in front of the defense and was wide open for a 38-yard TD catch that made it 10-7 late in the first quarter. Calvin Ridley had a 63-yard reception that set up their next touchdown in the second. “It was just way too many negative plays,” Ryans said. “Defensively, unexplainable explosives for touchdowns. We didn’t play good across the board and that starts with me.” Despite this, the Texans (7-5) had a chance to tie it with less than two minutes remaining, but Fairbairn’s short field-goal attempt sailed wide left. He fell to the ground after the miss before getting up and slamming his helmet on the field. “The most frustrating part about it is out of all the bad things that happened, we still had a chance to finish the game,” Ryans said. “Everything that could go wrong, it went wrong. We still had a chance there to tie it up and finish the game, and we didn’t.” The Texans forced a three-and-out, but couldn’t move the ball after that and Harold Landry sacked Stroud in the end zone for a safety to make it 32-27 and allow Tennessee to snap a two-game skid. Stroud threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns, but his two interceptions Sunday give him five combined in the past three games. He now has more interceptions in 12 games this season (nine) than he had in 15 games as a rookie last season (five). “It’s no secret that I haven’t been playing well ... I’ve got to be harder on myself,” he said. “I’m not going to hold my head down. I know I can be a great player, but I’ve got to make better plays.” ___ AP NFL:Most of us are not professional chefs or caterers or decorators, so the thought of cooking for and entertaining a Thanksgiving crowd can be daunting. That's why we turned to the experts — professional chefs and caterers and interior designers — to discuss some typical Thanksgiving mistakes and how to avoid them. 1. Not prepping "The overriding first mistake people make is they think they have more time than they do," said Bistro to Go Cafe and Catering executive chef Kate Kobylinski. She regularly hosts her extended family of 30 and knows "every single problem." "Food takes longer to cook, the table takes longer to set and houses take longer to clean than you think." Clean your house on Monday. On Wednesday, dice vegetables so they're "food-show ready," as Kobylinski put it. Prepare (but don't cook) your green bean casserole (leaving off garnishes like fried onions) so it can just be popped in the oven and set the dining room table. People are also reading... 2. Not enlisting help Don't feel that you have to do everything yourself. But be as specific as possible when doling out the assignments. "Don't let them make their own decisions!" Kobylinski said emphatically. Thanksgiving is "micromanager's heaven." For example, have someone bring ice on Thanksgiving Day because going out to buy it takes time and ice hogs freezer space. If you don't like making desserts, have someone bring one. If a guest wants to prepare a side dish, great, but decide beforehand what they will bring. Ahead of dinner, interior designer Kacie Cope likes to set out all of her serving platters with Post-it notes attached denoting what will go on them. "You'll be amazed if you have them labeled," she said. "People can help in a jiff." During the evening, Kobylinski gives people assigned jobs, such as serving drinks or taking charge of an after-dinner game. And the chef is forgiving about using premade ingredients, like gravy or cranberry jelly. "There's no right or wrong way to make any of your foods," she said. But you might want to give a homemade touch to prepared ingredients, like adding sauteed onions or celery to prepared gravy. 3. Not defrosting your turkey "Everyone goes into Thanksgiving Day with a half-frozen turkey," said Kobylinski. "And you can't get the bag of giblets out because they're frozen in place." It takes one day for every 4 pounds of turkey meat to defrost in the refrigerator. (No, it is not safe to leave your frozen turkey out on the counter to thaw and breed bacteria.) So if you've got a 20-pound bird, you've got to start thawing on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. However, there are other methods. Kobylinski suggests submerging the bird and running a thin stream of cold water over it. "It doesn't have to be a lot of water." The U.S. Department of Agriculture says there are only three ways to safely thaw food: In the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave. To safely thaw turkey in cold water, the USDA says it takes about 30 minutes per pound. Put the turkey in a leak-proof plastic bag to prevent cross-contamination and submerge it. Change the water every 30 minutes, and cook immediately when it's thawed. If opting for your microwave, follow its instructions for thawing and cook immediately. Then, if you're running late and need to speed things up to satisfy the hungry hordes, you can cut the bird in half before cooking (skin side up). This significantly reduces cooking time, requiring about 10 minutes per pound. Kobylinski also recommends resting the turkey on vegetables in the oven to keep the bottom from getting burned. 4. Serving a dry, overcooked turkey Private chef and culinary educator Emily Larsen warns that those plastic thermometers in supermarket turkeys are setting you up for failure. The USDA says that you should cook a turkey until the internal temperature is 165 degrees. Plastic thermometers don't pop out until the breast meat is at about 180 degrees, "when your turkey is completely dry," Larsen said. Plus, people forget that meat continues to cook once it's out of the oven. She recommends taking a bird out of the oven when it is at 155 degrees — she likes to use an inexpensive instant-read folding probe thermometer — and continue to monitor it. (Insert it into the thickest part of the breast, avoiding the bone.) "Ten dollars [for the thermometer] can save your Thanksgiving," she said. Some feel that buying a frozen rather than fresh bird is another no-no, since freezing leaches water out of the turkey. However, if, despite your best efforts, your turkey is lacking moisture, Kobylinski has a fix: Put warm chicken or turkey stock and clarified butter into a mister and spritz sliced turkey with it before serving. "The same with stuffing if it's too dry," she said. Grocery chains vie for a place on Thanksgiving tables with turkey dinner deals 5. Overcomplicating the menu Thanksgiving Day is not the time to try out a completely new recipe. And you don't have to lay out 10 side dishes. In addition to opting for a simple menu, Kobylinski also recommends figuring out how long your items will take to cook and what method of cooking it requires ahead of time. Your turkey will be monopolizing your oven for four hours, so other oven foods should be limited or be easily reheated during the time that the turkey is resting. (As for resting a turkey, the chef puts her turkey on a hot plate with towels over it so "the meat rebinds itself and stabilizes for a smoother cut.") "Stovetop items should be staggered," she said, so you don't have a frying pan and three pots all going at once. As a sample menu, she suggests you might have one baked potato dish and one mashed. And for vegetables, one baked dish and one that is blanched or grilled. 6. Overcomplicating the decorating Interior designers advise against going too crazy with holiday-specific décor. "There's a lot that's being sold to us that we feel like we need," said Pittsburgh interior designer Amanda Bock. Do you really need a turkey-shaped vase or pilgrim figurines? "They're out for two weeks, and then you have to figure out where to store them," agreed Cope. "It takes an already busy season and makes it stressful in an unnecessary way." Cope says you can take things that are already part of your menu and use them as décor — a bowl of nuts or cranberries, or even removing the label from a cranberry sauce tin and repurposing it as a vase for flowers and fall leaves. Bock adds that dining room table décor should be kept to a minimum, since you'll need space for your food. You don't have to have "big chargers and five plates and three different glasses, plus all of your Thanksgiving food on the table," Bock said. If you do have flowers or a centerpiece in the middle of the table, keep it low, Cope advised. "That way, you can actually see the person who's across the table from you." Tableware and tablecloths might be in fall colors, so they can be repurposed throughout the season. Water glasses or wine goblets could be amber-toned, Bock suggests. 7. Inhibiting the party flow Well in advance of your guests' arrival, think critically about the setup of your home. Don't be afraid to rearrange your furniture so your guests move to different areas and don't all congregate in your kitchen. "You want to make sure that there are areas where people can sit and chat, watch the parade or just hang out together," Bock said. Set up a drinks station and an hors d'oeuvres station in different parts of the house, Bock suggests. Though, she admits, "I can't do that in my house because my dogs would just gobble up the hors d'oeuvres." She suggests repurposing a kitchen nook for kid seating, or as a serving area. Kobylinski might set up a half-built puzzle in a side room. She even puts out winter jackets and boots for "the gentlemen" for the moment when she urges them to go out on the porch to smoke cigars and drink brandy so they won't be underfoot. 8. Forgetting to set the mood As a finishing touch, don't neglect to set the mood by using lamps around the room instead of harsh overhead lights. Putting out tapers or tea candles establishes an intimate feeling. "That just leans into the cozy fall vibe," Cope said of low lighting. But don't use scented candles, Bock warns. Or a smelly flower arrangement. "That can overwhelm you when you're eating," Bock said. Putting on a favorite music playlist can set the mood and take away self-consciousness, especially early in the evening. The most important thing on Thanksgiving is simply for everyone to enjoy each other's company. A little advance preparation can help you, the host, stay relaxed throughout the evening so you can interact with your guests. As Bock advised, "Keep it simple for Thanksgiving." Let friendship and fellowship be the stars of the show. Best Black Friday deals: When to shop, what to buy and what to skip 100 years of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 100 years of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade The 98th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade coverage is slated from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. EST Thursday, Nov. 28. This year's event will feature 28 clown crews, 26 floats, 16 giant balloons, 11 marching bands, five performance groups, three "baloonicles"—cold-air inflatables driven down the parade route, and numerous performers. Stacker curated a selection of photographs from the past century of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to help illustrate the history of the iconic event. The parade in New York City, presented by department store chain Macy's, was first held in 1924 under the heading "Macy's Christmas Parade" to promote holiday sales and spotlight the newly expanded and, at the time, largest in the world Herald Square store in Manhattan. The success of the event led organizers to turn the spectacle into an annual tradition. Each year, the parade ends outside the same Herald Square Macy's location. The event has been televised nationally since 1953 on NBC. The parade at first featured Central Park Zoo animals escorted by Macy's employees and professional entertainers for 6 miles from 145th Street in north Manhattan's Harlem to Macy's. A quarter of a million onlookers lined the streets. Real animals were replaced with balloons in 1927; that same year, the name of the event was changed to Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The longest-running parade float is the event's unofficial mascot, Tom Turkey. Tom features moving wings, head, and eyes and usually functions as the lead float in the parade. Bringing up the caboose in virtually all the parades is Santa Claus who ushers in the holiday shopping season with his arrival at Macy's Herald Square. The parade offers a glimpse into pop culture of the time, from beloved children's entertainment to hit Broadway shows and musical acts. The Radio City Rockettes, formed in 1925, have performed in the parade annually since 1957. In 1933, the outside temperature was 69 degrees F, the warmest it's been; 2018 was the coldest day in parade history at 19 degrees F. In 2022, for the first time, the event featured a trio of women hosts. Today, more than 44 million people tune in to watch the parade. Keep reading to learn more about the parade's history and see some iconic shots of the event. You may also like: Game on: The booming growth of online gaming 1924: Macy's first parade In Macy's first Thanksgiving parade, Santa Claus sat atop a float pulled by a team of horses down Broadway. That year floats, bands, and Central Park Zoo animals were featured in the procession. At the parade's end, Santa Claus was crowned "King of the Kiddies" on Macy's balcony at the 34th Street entrance. Macy's quickly announced the parade would be an annual event. 1928: Fish and tigers The large balloons that replaced live zoo animals in 1927 were filled with regular air and had no release valves—they were simply let go to pop in the air following the parade. 1928 marked the first year of Macy's inflating balloons with helium to allow them to float. They were also outfitted with valves so the helium could gradually escape rather than waiting for the balloon to inevitably pop, and featured a return address so anyone who found them could return them and receive a reward. In this photo from 1928, a 35-foot fish and 60-foot-long tiger were featured prominently in the parade. A $100 prize was offered for each balloon recovered after its release. 1931: Hippo on parade The Thanksgiving parade enjoyed rapid growth throughout the 1930s, with more than 1 million revelors lining the parade route in 1933. In this 1931 photo, a giant hippopotamus balloon makes its way down Broadway. A blue hippo balloon—possibly this one—released after the parade was still at large several days later, thought to be somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean. 1932: Balloon mishaps end rewards In this image, the Felix the Cat balloon is led down Broadway by its four handlers tailed by Terrible Turk and Willie Red Bird. The original Felix the Cat character balloon made its parade debut in 1927, but was destroyed after its post-parade release by a high tension wire in 1931. The Terrible Turk also was destroyed the same year by an electric sign. In 1932, Macy's Tom Cat balloon got stuck in the propeller of a plane when the aviator flying the plane tried recovering the balloon for a reward. While the plane eventually landed safely, that event marked the final year of releasing balloons after the parades and offering prizes for their return to Macy's. 1939: View from the top Pinnochio, Tin Man, and Uncle Sam make their way along the parade route in 1939. Mickey Mouse made his debut five years earlier with a balloon designed in part by Walt Disney; Mickey's handlers were also dressed as mice. New iterations of Mickey appeared over the next 70 years as the character evolved. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was canceled from 1942-1944 because of supply shortages during World War II, namely helium and rubber. Festivities returned in 1945. The Christmas classic "Miracle on 34th Street" was released in 1947 and prominently features actual footage from the 1946 parade. 1948 marked the parade's first network television broadcast. You may also like: Legendary interior designers from every decade of the 20th century 1952: Space explorer Macy's original character The Giant Spaceman made his debut in 1952's parade, measuring 70 feet long and 40 feet wide and weighing 600 pounds. More than 25 gallons of paint went into painting the astronaut. An estimated 2.25 million people lined the streets for the festivities that year. 1955: Flying high Throngs of onlookers pack the sidewalks in Manhattan's Times Square during this 1955 parade. Mighty Mouse, an animated superhero created by Terrytoons, is seen in the back left of the photo. Mighty Mouse made his debut in the Thanksgiving Day parade in 1951; he appeared in 80 short films between 1942-1961. 1958: 'I am what I am' Popeye makes his way through Times Square in the 1959 parade. A year earlier, another helium shortage meant balloons were inflated with air and hung from construction cranes to make their way through the parade route. Also in 1958, the first celebrity performances were added with the Benny Goodman sextet. Live music proved a challenge technically and logistically. The parade was transitioning to the now-familiar lip syncing by 1964. 1961: Peacockery The iconic peacock float makes its debut in this photo of the 1961 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. That same year, Miss Teenage America Diane Lynn Cox appeared in princess attire sharing a float with "Prince Charming" actor Troy Donahue. You may also like: Baltimore buried its urban streams—now an artist is bringing one back 1961: 'A Fantasy of Christmas' Teen performers appear in classic roller skates in this image from the 1961 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The sign above the skaters reads "Macy's presents A Fantasy of Christmas in New York." 1961: Shoulder to shoulder This 1961 photo shows shoulder-to-shoulder parade onlookers at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The year marks the first balloon featuring Bullwinkle Moose and the first year for floats with Pinocchio, The Racetrack Grandstand, Cinderella, Peacock, Ferris Wheel, Brigadoon, Meet the Mets, and Santa's Sleigh. Several years later, in 1968, Macy's creative team figured out how to design floats up to 40 feet tall and 28 feet wide that could fold into 12.5-by-8-foot boxes for strategic transportation from New Jersey to Manhattan via the Lincoln Tunnel. 1972: 'Hey, Rocky!' A Bullwinkle Moose balloon floats down Broadway in this 1972 photograph of the parade. The 46th annual parade featured five firsts for floats: Alphabet Blocks, Snow Mountain, Windmill, Curious George, and Santa's Holiday Home. 1974: A 'hareless' tortoise A solo tortoise float makes its way down the street near Columbus Circle in this 1974 parade photo. Not pictured is the accompanying hare. This marked the seventh appearance of the duo. 1982: It's not easy being green A giant inflatable balloon of Kermit the Frog makes its way down the 1982 parade route in this photo. The parade marked Kermit's sixth appearance. First-time balloons included Olive Oyl and Woody Woodpecker. You may also like: Far from making their last calls, LGBTQ+ bars evolve to imagine a new world 1989: Woody Woodpecker is a crowd favorite Woody Woodpecker greets the crowd as he floats past One Times Square during the 63rd annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1989. In the coming years, safety concerns troubled '90s-era parades—namely the wind. Strong gusts in 1993 pushed a Sonic the Hedgehog balloon into a Columbus Circle lamppost that broke and hurt a child and off-duty police officer. Four years later, intense winds caused a Cat in the Hat balloon to hit a lamppost, hurling debris into the air that fractured the skull of a spectator who spent 24 days in a coma. The incident, among others, led then-New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani to form a task force. 1995: 'Soaring Spirit' The Soaring Spirit Canoe float, pictured here in 1995, made its debut in the parade in 1986. Popular '90s balloons included Bart Simpson, Cat in the Hat, and The Rugrats. 2005: Dora's debut Dora the Explorer makes her balloon debut in this 2005 photo. That same year, the M&M 's chocolate candies balloon collided with a streetlight in Times Square, and debris from it injured two siblings. 2015: Familiar faces Snoopy and Woodstock made their way along the 89th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade route Nov. 26, 2015. To date, Snoopy boasts the most years flown as a character balloon in the event. 2016: A most massive audience In this 2016 photo, spectators like this one recorded videos of the parade on their phones. More than 24 million people were estimated to have streamed the parade that year on TV. 2017: Pikachu and so much more The Pikachu balloon floats down Central Park West for its fourth time during the 91st annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2017. That year's lineup featured 1,100 cheerleaders and dancers, more than 1,000 clowns, 28 legacy balloons, 26 floats, 17 giant helium balloons, 12 marching bands, and six performance groups. 2020: The show must go on Performers in this photo prepare at the 94th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Nov. 26, 2020. The event was one of few public occasions to be kept on schedule during the COVID-19 pandemic, albeit in a tempered manner. Much of the performances were pre-taped and the parade route was massively reduced. Participants wore masks and balloon handlers were cut by nearly 90%. 2023: 97 years Santa Claus celebrates at the 97th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in this photo from Nov. 23, 2023. First-time giant balloons included Beagle Scout Snoopy, Leo (Netflix), Monkey D. Luffy, Po from "Kung Fu Panda," and The Pillsbury Doughboy. Copy editing by Lois Hince. You may also like: From the Roman Empire to your therapist's office: The history of the chaise lounge 1949: Teddy bear on parade The 23rd annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was held Nov. 24, 1949. In this photo, a teddy bear makes its way through Times Square. This parade marked the second appearance for the bear. Other balloons made their debut: Freida the Dachshund, Howdy Doody on the Flying Trapeze, and Macy's Hobo Clown. 2001: 9/11 looms large New York City first responders carry two American flags during the Nov. 22, 2001, 75th Anniversary of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which was also held on the heels of 9/11. They honored those killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that year. New Yorkers crowded the streets to watch the parade, which featured 15 giant balloons and marching bands that all added an air of patriotism to the event. 2011: Elf sprinkles A woman dressed in an elf costume sprinkles spectators with confetti in Times Square during Macy's 85th Thanksgiving Day parade on Nov. 24, 2011. Sonic the Hedgehog and Julius the sock monkey, which was created by Paul Frank, made their balloon entrances that year. You may also like: 5 tips for making your next event more affordable Make your house a home For the holidays: Get inspiring home and gift ideas – sign up now!
A court in Punjab’s Malerkotla district on Saturday sentenced AAP legislator from Delhi’s Mehrauli Naresh Yadav to two years in prison in a 2016 case of desecration of the Koran. The development saw Opposition parties in Punjab targeting the ruling AAP and alleging that the verdict “exposed the real face” of the party. The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Parminder Singh Grewal had convicted Yadav in the case on Friday and pronounced the verdict on Saturday. A fine of ₹11,000 was also imposed on Yadav, who appeared before the court when the sentence was pronounced. The court upheld the two-year sentence of two others — Vijay Kumar and Gaurav Kumar — and acquittal of another accused, Nand Kishore, by a lower court. The AAP MLA has been convicted under Sections 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion), and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. On June 24, 2016, torn pages of the Koran were found scattered on a road in Malerkotla. This led to violence and burning of vehicles by an angry mob. Four persons, including the AAP MLA, were arrested in the case. Initially, the police had booked Vijay, Gaurav, and Kishore. Later, based on the statement of an accused during interrogation, Yadav was arrested in the case. In March 2021, Yadav and Kishore were acquitted in the sacrilege case by a lower court, while Vijay and Gaurav were sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. However, complainant Mohammad Ashraf had filed an appeal against the acquittal. ‘Deep-rooted conspiracy’ Senior Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Partap Singh Bajwa said AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal promised justice in sacrilege cases, but his own MLA has been convicted. “AAP, which claimed the moral high ground, stands exposed. Instead of healing Punjab, they’ve fuelled unrest. CM Bhagwant Mann’s silence is telling,” he said in a post on X. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) said the conviction exposed “the real face of AAP”. “It has proved our allegations that serial incidents of sacrilege in Punjab are part of a deep-rooted conspiracy to disturb peace and communal harmony and to get political mileage out of it.... the truth has prevailed. Now, Arvind Kejriwal must tell the country why his party MLA indulged in such a heinous crime,” said senior SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema. The BJP’s State unit said in a post on X: “Bhagwant Mann, Arvind Kejriwal, and AAP Punjab must answer for their lies and divisive politics. Conviction of AAP MLA proves AAP’s role in communal tensions. Shameful betrayal of Punjab’s harmony. Punjab will never forgive this.” Published - December 01, 2024 01:25 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Delhi / Aam Aadmi Party / Punjab / arrest / religion and belief / court administrationSan Jose's Historic Eiichi Sakauye Farmhouse Earns Reprieve Amidst Community and Officials' Preservation Efforts