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fish meme The famous Christmas Song has been with us for longer than you might think. According to tradition, Christmas carols in English first appeared in a 1426 work of a chaplain named John Awdlay, who lists twenty-five 'carols of Christmas' which were probably sung by groups who went from house to house. While many in those early choral crews might have looked like the lads from Slade, it’s safe to say that the airs they sang did not lead off with someone screaming ‘It’s Christmas!’ followed by a chunky glam rock guitar riff. The Christmas song has evolved over the years and for most of us they offer comfort and give us a timely reminder that the most wonderful time of the year is fast approaching. “I love Christmas songs,” says Newstalk’s Tom Dunne. “I think it might be an age thing. As you get on in life you see them as a reassurance. "I think the first one I ever noticed, and it still gets to me, was Silver Bells by Dean Martin and then John Lennon’s Merry Christmas that blew me away as I was a huge Lennon fan.” “Under Pressure by Bowie and Queen is another one. It reminds me of Christmas purely because it was number one in November 1981 when I was studying Mechanical Drawing at UCD. "I was terrible at it and I remember realising this little dream wasn’t working out. The only thing keeping me going was that song playing in the background. For me, that’s a Christmas song. The lyrics are about coping and asking a good friend to help you out. I think Christmas, that’s when the cracks can appear. It can bring out the best and the worst in people. Of course, as a songwriter, Tom has tried his hand at a Christmas tune. Inspiration came to him while on a long walk with his dog during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I was wondering if I’d see my musician friends again,” recalls the Something Happens singer. “And this idea popped into my head so I recorded it on my phone.” The result was Raise Your Glass It’s Christmas, a song he has managed to play with those musician friends he missed so much during COVID. With some Christmas concerts lined up with his new collaborators Fiachna Ó Braonáin and Alan Connor, it’s more than likely fans will be treated to a rendition of what might well become a Christmas classic. “It’s a lovely song. I’m very happy with it,” says Tom. “It might be a little too Tom Waitsy for commercial success but it has a lovely chorus. Then again who thought Fairytale of New York would be such a success.” Ah, yes, the drunken staple of any Christmas party crescendo, Fairytale, like Ronaldo and Messi, only needs one name and indeed its opening piano chord to be instantly recognised. “As much as I love Fairytale of New York, and singing it badly arm in arm with people on a Christmas night out, I think my absolute favourite is Shakin Stevens’ Merry Christmas Everyone,” says Cork 96 FM’s Simon Murdoch. “There's something about that hook that I love and over the years when I’ve DJ’d at Christmas, it always got a brilliant reaction on the dancefloor. I’d also give a special mention to Andy Williams’s It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year and Feliz Navidad. They always get turned up when they come on.” As a radio DJ, Simon spends hours a day spinning the same festive numbers over December. This year, the season kicked off earlier than usual. Does he not get sick of them? “We started playing Christmas tunes this year on November 22nd,” he says. “That’s the earliest we’ve done it as far as I know. We’ll play one an hour for a week or two, then they will ramp up once we are in mid-December. It’s funny, we get messages from listeners delighted to be hearing Christmas songs on the radio and others that are so furious their comments wouldn’t be suitable for print.” “I don’t think I hate any Christmas songs,” he says. “But in my job, I do hear them a lot this time of year and with some of them I am happy that I don’t need to hear them for a year once Christmas is over. I’d say Slade’s Merry Christmas Everybody is one of those.” Over at Red FM, they like to make a festive fuss around their Christmas playlist. “We have a wonderful switch on for Christmas,” says the station’s afternoon host, Ciara Revins. “It usually kicks off around November 28th and we get a school in Cork to count us down to playing the first Christmas song on the station. As we get closer to Santa we ramp it up and play them until Christmas Day.” For Ciara, Christmas kicks in when those opening tinkles of Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You make their first tentative steps across our airwaves. “It’s joyous, fun and playful,” says the presenter, “and it always brings back memories. From being small, hearing it on the radio to nights out with friends and more recently blasting it in the car with my little girl in the back seat. It’s an integral part of my Christmas and the memories around this time of year. It’s always the first Christmas song I want to play on the radio. “I absolutely love Christmas – getting the tree, putting up the lights, going to see Santa, going to the panto, taking a trip on the Ferris Wheel on Grand Parade and rolling out my collection of Christmas jumpers and jammies. "The songs are a big part of that and I love all of them, to be honest. That said, the chatty bit in Mel and Kim’s Rocking Around the Christmas Tree can sometimes drive me cracked.” As presenter of The Alternative on RTÉ 2FM, it’s no surprise that some of DJ Dan Hegarty’s choices are a little more eclectic. “Eels’ Christmas is Going To The Dogs and Pugwash & Friends’ Tinsel & Marzipan are two fine Christmas tunes from more recent years but I have to say Do They Know It’s Christmas? is probably my favourite. "It brings me back to being a kid. It was fascinating to see all these famous people coming together and making something for such an important cause. It’s amazing that 40 years on, it’s still so iconic.” Again poor old Slade also land in Dan’s humbug stocking alongside Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas (sorry Ciara). “They tend to get on my nerves quickly,” says the Dubliner. “But it’s probably a case that I’ve heard them way too much over the years more than anything else.” While there are no doubt some who Wish it Could be Christmas Every Day, there are others who by the time we get to December 25th will have had their fill of Mistletoe and Wine. Whichever camp you’re in, it’s hard not to get caught up in the joy and craic of a good Christmas tune. Merry Christmas Everyone.Dejan Kulusevski equaliser and a stunning stop from Fraser Forster saved Tottenham’s blushes as Ange Postecoglou’s side drew 1-1 with Rangers in their Europa League clash in Glasgow. Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!! The result takes Spurs to 11 points from six games, and they sit ninth, only on goal difference out of the top eight, who automatically progress to the knockout rounds, with two league phases matches to come in the new year. A draw means Tottenham remain winless in their last three Europa League contests, and they have only won once in their last eight matches in all competitions, but for much of the night, things looked like they would play out much worse. “It’s fair to say we’re in a bit of a struggle,” Postecoglou said post-match. The Australian manager has been under intense scrutiny this week after back-to-back Premier League losses, and the former Celtic boss’ heart must have been in his mouth when Rangers were through on goal in the 86th minute. Cyriel Dessers barged his way past several defenders to get a shot away, but Forster stayed big and pulled off a brilliant piece of goal keeping, not for the first time in the match, to tip the ball wide and deny the home side. Only a minute later, the Ibrox descended into raptures as Dessers found the back of the net this time, but the celebrations were short-lived as the linesperson’s flag was up, and replays showed he was well offside. Those chances for Rangers were brewing all night, whereas Kulusevski’s equaliser seemingly came from nowhere. Spurs were patiently playing the ball around at the back for more than a minute before attacking down the right and Kulusevski took matters into his own hands to score in the 75th minute. The Swede cut back, found fellow substitute Dominic Solanke in the box, continued his run, received the ball back from Solanke and slotted it home with a left foot, first-time shot from near the edge of the penalty area. Things were looking dire for Tottenham before Kulusevski’s brilliant run as they went unpunished for their sloppiness in the first half, but it took less than two minutes after the break for Rangers to finally capitalise on yet another Spurs error. They coughed up the ball in midfield, and right back James Tavernier broke down the right-hand side, whipped a beautiful, curling ball in the box to pick out front man Hamza Igamane in the box, and the Moroccan slammed the half-volley into the bottom corner. The third-placed side in the Scottish Premiership looked more threatening for most of the evening, and the home supporters relished watching their team take it up to an English side. It was the first time Spurs has travelled north to face Rangers in a competitive fixture since the 1960s, and the last time the blue half of Glasgow hosted a Premier League outfit, they were humiliated 7-1 by Liverpool. That was in a Champions League contest in 2022 when Mohamed Salah came off the bench to score a stunning six minute hat trick, and it was arguably the most disastrous night of decades of heartbreak against English opposition in European competition, having not beaten a team from south of the border since getting the better of Leeds United in 1992. For most of the freezing cold evening, it appeared as if that streak might be broken but Rangers ultimately did not make the most of the 15 shots they took, six of which were on target. Both sides looked like they would be made to pay for their sloppiness with the ball throughout the first half as they each had threatening opportunities on the counter attack, but lacked the poise to finish. It was a back-and-forth, end-to-end contest with Tottenham having more of the ball but their makeshift defence looked incredibly vulnerable at times. Teenager Archie Gray, who typically plays right back, started alongside Ragu Dragusin as a central defender due to Spurs’ injury woes but it was goal keeper Forster who repelled Rangers’ attacks best with two excellent first half saves. The former Celtic shot stopper was booed and jeered extensively by the home fans, but kept his cool to tip a bullet from Nedim Bajrami over the bar in the 10th minute before ensuring they headed to the sheds deadlocked with an excellent save with his feet from a Vaclav Cerny shot in the final minute of the half. Rangers came out hard and finished the opening stanza the better of the two sides, while Tottenham controlled the middle period of the opening half. The home side lost centre back John Souttar, who is the brother of Socceroo Harry, in the 34th minute to a groin injury and it appeared as if a change at the back might open things up for Spurs. They had their chances but only one of their six first half shots was on target, and that was a tame shot from Son Heung-min, who started up front with Timo Werner, James Maddison and Brennan Johnson sitting behind him, in a change of formation from Postecoglou. The much-maligned Werner was benched at half time for goal scorer Dejan Kulusevski, while Johnson last an hour before making for Dominic Solanke, and Postecoglou took the unusual step of publicly expressing his frustrations with Werner post-match. “He wasn’t playing anywhere near the levels he can. It’s not acceptable to me. I told him that. He’s a senior international, a German international,” he said. “In the moment we’re in now, I need everyone to be at least going out there and giving the best they can. What he produced wasn’t acceptable. I expect more from the senior players like him.” Spurs seem to be in a funk in attack, and with a trip to Southampton, a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Manchester United and a visit from Premier League leaders Liverpool before Christmas, they will need to break it fast to get back to winning ways. SUPER SUBSTITUTE INSPIRES MAN UTD COMEBACK Second-half substitute Rasmus Hojlund scored twice as Manchester United fought back to earn a 2-1 win at Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League on Thursday. The hosts took the lead shortly after half-time, but Hojlund levelled on 62 minutes, six minutes after replacing Marcus Rashford, when the Danish striker tapped in Amad Diallo’s deflected shot. Two minutes from time, he beat Plzen goalkeeper Martin Jedlicka again with a clinical finish, turning around his marker after United captain Bruno Fernandes had found him inside the box with a clever free-kick. Matej Vydra, a former Watford, West Brom, Reading, Derby and Burnley forward, opened the scoring for the hosts with a close-range finish three minutes after half-time. Pavel Sulc found Vydra facing an empty net after he had intercepted United goalkeeper Andre Onana’s pass inside the box. The goal was a wake-up call for United manager Ruben Amorim, who made three replacements in its wake, including Hojlund. “It was not a great game,” said Amorim, before praising the substitutes. “They changed the game. They are there to do that so I’m pleased with that.” He added he was happy with the outcome: “It was important not to give up so that is a great message.” The former Sporting Lisbon boss replaced the sacked Eric ten Hag in November, but the chilly evening in Plzen showed United still have some way to go. Both teams came into the match with nine points from five Europa League games, and they took time to find their pace. Fernandes had the first shot on target half an hour into the game, but Jedlicka parried his low right-footed effort from the edge of the box.Onana watched Cheick Souare’s shot curl just past the top corner of his goal two minutes before the break. United substitutes Mason Mount and Antony were denied by Jedlicka in the second half, with Mount failing to beat the ‘keeper twice from close range. But Hojlund turned the match on its head to put United in a strong position for direct qualification to the last 16. “We didn’t have so much time to work on this type of game. We were controlling the game but didn’t have the pace (in the first half),” said Amorim. “We want to improve and we want to improve really fast,” he added. United next face Rangers at Old Trafford on January 23.Sound point Meridian Capital director buys $10,132 in stock

Ireland's election is over, but the country faces weeks of talks before there's a governmentSACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers returned to the state Capitol on Monday to begin a special session to protect the state’s progressive policies ahead of another Trump presidency. The Democratic governor, a fierce critic of President-elect Donald Trump, is positioning California to once again be the center of a resistance effort against the conservative agenda. He is asking his Democratic allies in the Legislature, who hold supermajorities in both chambers, to approve additional funding to the attorney general’s office to prepare for a robust legal fight against anticipated federal challenges. Democratic Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel on Monday introduced legislation to set aside $25 million for legal fees to respond to potential attacks by the Trump administration on state policies regarding civil rights, climate change, immigration and abortion access. “While we always hope to collaborate with our federal partners, California will be ready to vigorously defend our interests and values from any unlawful action by the incoming Trump Administration,” Gabriel said in a statement. California sued the first Trump administration more than 120 times to various levels of success. “We’re not going to be caught flat-footed,” Newsom said at a recent news conference. Trump often depicts California as representing all he sees wrong in America. Democrats, which hold every statewide office in California and have commanding margins in the Legislature and congressional delegation, outnumber registered Republicans by nearly 2-to-1 statewide. Trump called the Democratic governor “Newscum” during a campaign stop in Southern California and has relentlessly lambasted the Democratic stronghold over its large number of immigrants in the U.S. illegally, homeless population and thicket of regulations. Trump also waded into a water rights battle over the endangered delta smelt , a tiny fish that has pitted environmentalists against farmers and threatened to withhold federal aid to a state increasingly under threat from wildfires. He also vowed to follow through with his campaign promise of carrying out the mass deportation of immigrants without legal status and prosecuting his political enemies. Before the special session began, state lawmakers swore in more than two dozen new members and elect leaders for the 2025 legislative session. Lawmakers voted to convene the special session largely along party lines. “This special session is about sticking up for Californians and for California values,” said state Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat representing San Francisco. “It is about ensuring that the president of the United States and his administration actually follow the law.” Hundreds of people also demonstrated around the Capitol on Monday to urge the Legislature to try to stop Trump’s mass deportation plans . They carried banners that said “Not one cent for mass deportation” and “MAGA out of California.” “With the results of the presidential election, we need our state elected officials to use every tool and every resource they have available to them to protect our immigrant Californians,” protester Deborah Lee said. State Attorney General Rob Bonta said his office will protect the state’s immigration population, while Newsom last week unveiled a proposal to revive a rebate program for electric vehicle purchases if the incoming Trump administration eliminates a federal tax credit for people who buy electric cars. Newsom is also considering creating a backup disaster relief fund for the wildfire-prone state after Trump’s threats. Bonta announced legislation Monday aimed at bolstering reproductive rights in the state, including by allowing the attorney general to seek monetary penalties against local governments that infringe on those rights. The proposals are part of the state’s efforts to safeguard against threats to abortion access after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade . Republican lawmakers blasted Newsom and his Democratic allies over the special session. State Sen. Kelly Seyarto, a Republican representing Murrieta in Southern California, said the special session proposal would make California have a more adversarial relationship with the federal government. “What we’re doing today is sending that exact message — that we are going to fight tooth and nail for everything. And you know what? That means they’re going to fight us tooth and nail for everything,” Seyarto said of the incoming Trump administration if the legislation gets approved. Legislators also are expected to spend the year discussing ways to protect dozens of laws expected to be targeted by the Trump administration, including one that has made the state a sanctuary for people seeking abortions who live in states where such practices have been severely limited. California, the nation’s most populous state, was the first to mandate that by 2035 all new cars , pickup trucks and SUVs sold in California be electric, hydrogen-powered or plug-in hybrids. The state also extends state-funded health care to all low-income residents regardless of their immigration status. Newsom hasn’t provided details about what actions the lawmakers will consider but said he wanted funding in place before Trump’s inauguration day, Jan. 20. The state spent roughly $42 million in litigation costs during the first Trump administration, officials said. California is projected to face a $2 billion budget deficit next year, with bigger shortfalls ahead. Gabriel, who sued the first Trump administration in 2017 when it tried to end a program to shield young immigrants from being deported, said lining up the funding now is “a wise investment.” California successfully clawed back $57 million between 2017 and 2018 after prevailing in a lawsuit to block the Trump administration from putting immigration enforcement conditions on certain federal law enforcement grants. Another legal victory over the citizenship question in the 2020 census forced the federal government to return $850,000 to the state, according to the attorney general’s office. During Trump’s first presidency, Democratic attorneys general banded together to file lawsuits over immigration, Trump’s travel ban for residents of Muslim countries, the environment, immigration and other topics. But Trump has one possible advantage this time around: He was aggressive in nominating conservative jurists to federal courts at all levels, including the Supreme Court. Associated Press journalists Haven Daley and Sophie Austin contributed to this report.Sometimes the unpopular choice is the right one. Arizona athletic director Desireé Reed-Francois unquestionably made an unpopular choice this weekend when she committed to football coach Brent Brennan for 2025. Michael Lev is a senior writer/columnist for the Arizona Daily Star , Tucson.com and The Wildcaster . If you want to know how that went over, check out my timeline on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter. All that’s missing are the torches and pitchforks (although Wildcat-turned-Sun Devil Jacob Kongaika might have one that you can borrow). Reed-Francois made the right choice for today and for the UA’s particular predicament. She correctly reasoned that 101⁄2 months is not enough time to accurately assess the performance of a head coach. She’s also well aware of the athletic department’s financial distress; she was brought on board to solve that very problem. It would have been extremely difficult to justify paying another coach to not work here, even if some or most of that eight-figure bill — upwards of $20 million including assistant coaches’ buyouts — came from private donations. The optics would have been terrible. (Some will argue they couldn’t be worse than they are now. They forget the truly dark days .) Arizona coach Brent Brennan gets excited as the Wildcats score a touchdown and get back into the game in the fourth quarter against Texas Tech on Oct. 5 at Arizona Stadium. Whether Reed-Francois made the right choice in the long run remains to be seen. It’s up to Brennan to prove it. He has a lot to prove. No one can dispute that Brennan didn’t get it done in 2024. He inherited a team — well, most of a team — that went 10-3 the previous year ... then crumbled under the weight of those great expectations. Picked to finish fifth in the Big 12 Conference, the 4-8 Wildcats ended in a tie for 13th. Worse, they withered down the stretch, barely competing in blowout losses to UCF and ASU. Reed-Francois didn’t hire Brennan. Who knows what she might have done had she been in charge at the time. She did know him. But she’s worked with him for less than a year. She’s been deliberate in her evaluation of coaches. She has yet to extend any current coach in any sport since she got here, no matter how deserving they might be. (Tommy Lloyd’s extension was announced Feb. 19 — the same day Reed-Francois was hired.) Arizona AD Desireé Reed-Francois, shown during her introductory news conference Feb. 20, knows how vital it is that football be successful; it generates about 64% of the athletic department's revenue. Reed-Francois told the Star that Brennan “deserves a fair chance to be successful” — and boy, let me tell you, the “fair chance” part of that statement did not sit well with fans in the social-media sphere. Their assertion: He already had a fair chance. He was handed a top-15 team that brought back its quarterback (Noah Fifita), at least two projected first-round draft picks (Tetairoa McMillan and Jonah Savaiinaea), most of the offensive line and a standout secondary. It’s a fair point. But it doesn’t paint a complete picture of what the roster actually looked like. Arizona lost massive production to the NFL, graduation and the transfer portal — especially at the skill positions and along the defensive line. It was especially challenging to replace those players with a starting point of mid-January. Last year’s fall transfer portal window ran from Dec. 4-Jan. 2. Brennan’s primary focus was on retention and that was the smart play. He kept most of the core intact . Arizona coach Brent Brennan, left, congratulates defensive back Demetrius Freeney (7) after his coverage on a punt put Colorado deep in its own territory in the fourth quarter of the Buffaloes' Big 12 victory over the Wildcats on Oct. 19 at Arizona Stadium. Many believe he’ll never have a roster as talented as this one, but that’s only true to an extent. Arizona probably won’t have multiple first-rounders at one time again if history is any indicator. But Brennan can build a team that’s deeper than this one. The Wildcats landed in the preseason Top 25 because of their top 25 or so players. Depth was always a concern, especially at key positions such as offensive tackle and cornerback. When attrition hit, the product suffered. The Never Brenters will insist he shouldn’t have been hired in the first place — that the entire situation was rushed and that his résumé didn’t warrant a promotion to the Power Four. Regarding the former, then-AD Dave Heeke had to act fast . If he didn’t, Fifita and McMillan likely would’ve been gone — and many others undoubtedly would have followed them into the portal. Regarding the latter, Brennan led San Jose State to three seven-win seasons in his final four seasons there, including a 7-1 record during the pandemic year (when the Spartans had to practice several hundred miles away from campus). From 1993-2019, SJSU had three winning seasons. Additionally, the Spartans ranked at or near the bottom of the Mountain West Conference in total football operating expenditures throughout Brennan’s tenure, per the Knight-Newhouse College Athletics Database . Many of us theorized that if Brennan could do more with less at SJSU, he could do more with more at Arizona. That obviously didn’t materialize in Year One. The Wildcats seem to be in a good place from a culture standpoint, something that also factored into Reed-Francois’ decision. Brennan is well-liked among players and their families. That doesn’t mean the team was well-coached. Arizona coach Brent Brennan, left, shown against BYU on Oct. 12, went 4-8 in his first season at the UA and has a lot to prove entering Year Two in Tucson. Changes are needed, especially on offense. The system never fit the personnel. An identity was never established. Reed-Francois said changes would be coming but deferred to Brennan to announce any staff firings. I asked her whether it was a mandate or something the two had agreed upon. She said they were “in alignment” on that issue. Stay tuned. Rapid turnarounds are achievable in the current iteration of college football. Look at ASU and BYU. Both went from 2-7 in conference play to 7-2. We live in a world where SMU is 11-1 in its first year in a power conference; where Indiana won 11 games for the first time in its history; where Vanderbilt has the same record as Oklahoma (both 6-6). Thanks to NIL and the portal, there’s an open invitation to college football’s parity party. The programs that have risen rapidly might very well have better coaches and support systems. Reed-Francois insists Brennan will have every resource he needs. She knows how vital it is that football be successful; it generates roughly 64% of the athletic department’s revenue. The next month will be critical. Brennan has to show he can not only retain but recruit. He has to inspire some degree of hope. What does next year have to look like for Brennan to make it to 2026? The schedule is arguably tougher than this season; progress might not be evident in the win-loss ledger. In lieu of that, the Wildcats must be more competitive. They must be tougher, sounder and smarter. Being more exciting wouldn’t hurt either. Part of Brennan’s appeal was the possibility of stability. Unlike Kevin Sumlin, Brennan wanted to be here. Unlike Jedd Fish, Brennan wouldn’t be looking for the next-best job as soon as it opened. But you have to produce to turn that ideal into a reality. Brennan hasn’t done it yet. He’s getting another chance to prove he’s the right man for the job. The clock is ticking. Contact sports reporter/columnist Michael Lev at mlev@tucson.com . On X (Twitter): @michaeljlev. On Bluesky: @ michaeljlev.bsky.social Respond: Write a letter to the editor | Write a guest opinion Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sports Reporter/ColumnistAs Governments around the world consider new measures to limit teens’ use of social apps , the latest stats from Pew Research on teen social media use come at a particularly interesting time, in showcasing where teens are paying attention, and how much time they actually are spending in social apps. Based on a survey of 1,391 U.S. teens aged 13 to 17, as well as each of their parents, the report provides a snapshot of where teens are engaging, and which apps are the key focus for this cohort. And it’ll come as no surprise to find that YouTube remains the leader in the space. As you can see, YouTube has declined slightly since Pew’s last survey , though it was still flagged by 90% of participants as an app that they use regularly. YouTube is considered less of a social app and more a video platform, as it doesn’t focus on the social elements as much (interestingly, YouTube has been excluded from Australia’s new social media ban for teens under 16 ). But it’s still technically a social app, and its influence remains huge, driving cultural trends among young audiences. Instagram and WhatsApp are the only apps that have seen a rise in usage since Pew’s last teen report, though TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat remain the key social apps that teens use to stay connected. As per Pew : “ Roughly six-in-ten teens say they use TikTok and Instagram, and 55% say the same for Snapchat.” That’s pretty much what most would expect, with these apps remaining “the big three” for teens for some time, while both Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) have declined significantly over the past decade with this group. “ Today, 32% of teens say they use Facebook. This is down from 71% in 2014-15, though the share of teens who use the site has remained stable in recent years. And 17% of teens say they use X (formerly Twitter) – about half the share who said this a decade ago (33%), and down from 23% in 2022. ” Both Facebook and X, which are really the O.G.’s of the social space, have become more focused on engagement among older users, and have lost their youth appeal to a significant degree. So if you’re looking to reach teens, probably don’t go marketing in these apps. Though the real data of interest in this report is likely how much time teens spend in each app: As you can see in this overview, YouTube and TikTok are the platforms that teens are most likely to spend the most time on. “Overall, 73% of teens say they go on YouTube daily, making YouTube the most widely used and visited platform we asked about. This share includes 15% who describe their use as “almost constant.” About six-in-ten visit TikTok daily. This includes 16% who report being on it almost constantly.” “Almost constantly” is a concerning allocation, but this is how Pew has characterized these persistent users, who are virtually always active in social apps. Based on this, it's YouTube and TikTok that would arguably be the most problematic for teen social media use, if the argument is that social media is overly harmful for teens (expert opinions vary on this ). Yet, Instagram and Snapchat tend to get more focus in this respect, with Instagram, in particular, singled out as causing mental health impacts among young girls by various reports. The data here suggests that both YouTube and TikTok are far more addictive, and arguably more influential on impressionable minds. Though overall, more teens are spending more time online: In terms of gender splits, the data shows that teen girls are more likely than boys to say they use TikTok almost constantly, while boys are more likely than girls to use YouTube. As you can see, the gender splits for other apps are much more aligned, which is another consideration for marketing spend. Pew’s full report includes further information on usage among different demographics, including ethnicity-specific usage and household income data. Some valuable insights for anyone looking to reach teens online. You can check out the full report here .

SHAREHOLDER INVESTIGATION: Halper Sadeh LLC Investigates CCRN, ENLC, MNTX on Behalf of Shareholders

Key posts 6.18am Michael Rowland and Patricia Karvelas sign off from flagship ABC shows 5.45am Labor not keen to discuss broken power price promise 5.35am Coalition MPs avoid promising cheaper power bills if they win government 5.21am Friday 13th an ‘auspicious day’ for Dutton to release nuclear costings, PM says 4.52am Energy minister doesn’t accept Coalition’s ‘very dodgy’ nuclear figures 4.20am Airports brace for chaos as Qantas engineers begin 24-hour strike 3.57am Peter Dutton to reveal nuclear energy proposal 3.43am Key figures that could save fading February rate-cut hopes Hide key posts Posts area Latest 1 of 2 Oldest Latest posts Latest posts 6.18am Michael Rowland and Patricia Karvelas sign off from flagship ABC shows By Kayla Olaya and Josefine Ganko Two of the ABC’s most well-known broadcasters, Patricia Karvelas and Michael Rowland, have signed off for the final time from their respective morning programs. ABC News Breakfast host Michael Rowland has signed off after 15 years in the role. Credit: ABC Rowland wrapped up nearly 15 years at ABC News Breakfast helm in an emotional final bulletin surrounded by his family and colleagues. “Thank you very much, It’s been wonderful,” said Rowland, in his last words on the show. “I have been genuinely touched and overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and affection from our viewers. One of my great achievements over the last 15 years has been building up this fantastic audience,” said Rowland. Meanwhile, Karvelas signed off after three years hosting ABC’s flagship morning radio show RN Breakfast. “You’ve been there with me throughout great change in our country and the world, and I want to thank you for it,” Karvelas said, thanking listeners and the Radio National team. Patricia Karvelas hosted RN Breakfast for three years. Credit: Scott McNaughton Karvelas reflected on her “uniquely Australian” story, growing up in a household where she didn’t speak English. “Because of a strong public education system and dedicated teachers and incredible family support, I got to grow up and host a national radio show where rigour and curiosity is at the centre of what we do,” she said. Karvelas wished the best of luck to her replacement Sally Sara. “I’ll be listening because I care about this show, and I care about journalism, and I care about telling the truth in a world where the truth is not to be contested.” 6.12am Nuclear policy has ‘shelf life of seafood milkshake’: minister Education Minister Jason Clare has rejected the idea the Coalition’s nuclear policy would cost less or be better for the environment, saying it had “the shelf life of a seafood milkshake”. Speaking on Seven’s Sunrise , Clare described the announcement as “the biggest hoax since Milli Vanilli.” Loading “This is never going to happen,” he said. “Best-case scenario, it takes 30 years to turn a lightbulb on, we can’t wait that long.” Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley was also asked by the program whether the policy would result in cheaper energy bills but said she wouldn’t “get ahead of that announcement”. “If the system costs less, you pay less,” she said. “If our system is substantially cheaper, and you will see that it is, then Australians will pay less, and right now, they’re paying more, they’re paying more in their electricity bills every single month.” Read more about the costings here. 6.02am Nuclear power ‘doesn’t stack up’ for Australia: Andrew Forrest Nuclear power doesn’t stack up for Australian families or businesses, says Fortescue chairman Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest. “As our national science agency has shown, ‘firmed’ solar and wind are the cheapest new electricity options for all Australians,” he said in a statement. Billionaire businessman Andrew Forrest. Credit: Bloomberg “The cost of electricity generated on a grid dominated by firmed renewable energy in 2030 will be half what you would have to pay if it came from nuclear, CSIRO found.” Forrest, who is a big player in the non-fossil fuels energy market, said that without continued action on “low-cost, high-efficiency renewable energy”, Australians will be left with “pricier power and crumbling coal stations”. “We must never forget – Australia has the best renewable resources in the world,” he added. “Seizing these Australian opportunities must be our shared national goal.” AAP Advertisement 5.45am Labor not keen to discuss broken power price promise By Josefine Ganko It wasn’t just the Coalition dodging questions this morning, with Labor frontbenchers Chris Bowen and Bill Shorten playing coy on the broken 2022 election promise that power bills would come down by $275 by 2023. Energy Minister Chris Bowen was asked if he regretted making the promise in 2022, but he was keen to redirect the question to discuss the cost of renewable energy. “I don’t regret obviously pointing out that renewables are the cheapest form of energy,” Bowen said. Energy Minister Chris Bowen. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen “I look forward to debating the competing plans before the Australian people at the next election.” Pushed to answer the question again, Bowen said we were dealing with “a different set of circumstances internationally” post-2022. “Australia’s increase in energy prices has been less than a lot of other comparable countries. We delivered billions of dollars of energy bill relief, which has been the appropriate thing to do, which has been opposed by the Liberal and National Party.” Asked about the promise on Nine’s Today , NDIS Minister Bill Shorten also opted to pivot to the Coalition’s nuclear plan. “We know that energy prices are part of the cost-of-living pressure on families. That’s why I think that the heroic assumptions of Peter Dutton promising some fanciful solution in 25 years time is just a crock,” Shorten said. “The idea we’re going to come from scratch and build a whole nuclear industry in Australia is, you know, just a fantasy”. 5.35am Coalition MPs avoid promising cheaper power bills if they win government By Josefine Ganko Coalition frontbenchers have avoided promising energy bills will be cheaper if they win government, as Opposition Leader Peter Dutton prepares to reveal the costings of his signature nuclear policy later today. Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie and MP Barnaby Joyce were both asked if they would pledge power would be cheaper under the Coalition, but both dodged the question. McKenzie was asked on Nine’s Today , where she first said that the price was attached to the “cost of delivering something”. Loading “And our plan is absolutely cheaper than Labor’s plan to get to 2050,” she said. Asked again if the Coalition would bring down power bills, McKenzie weaved again, saying prices would come down in the longer term. “By adding net zero nuclear to firm up the renewables that we’ve got in the grid as well is the way to actually get prices down over the long term,” she said. Joyce was asked the same question on ABC’s RN Breakfast. On the fifth iteration of the question, Joyce finally answered: “That is asking for a hypothetical question, which I could answer you, but I would not be telling the truth because I don’t have the facts before me.” 5.21am Friday 13th an ‘auspicious day’ for Dutton to release nuclear costings, PM says By Karl Quinn Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took time out of his busy pre-Christmas schedule to join the farewell party for Sammy J on ABC Radio Melbourne this morning, but he wasted no time at all in using his appearance to go into political attack mode. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Credit: Kate Geraghty “It’s Friday the 13th, an auspicious day, I’ve got to say, for Peter Dutton to drop his nuclear nightmare policy out there,” Albanese said, bypassing the pleasantries and bonhomie in favour of dropping a bomb on the opposition leader. “Oh, so straight into it,” said Sammy J (aka Sam McMillan). “Have you had a sneak peek [at Dutton’s nuclear power plan]?” he asked. “I had a look at some of the fiction that’s out there,” the PM replied, claiming nuclear power would not lead to savings on the cost of household power but rather “increase bills by $1200′′. “The truth is that renewables are the cheapest form of new energy. Everyone knows that’s the case. The science tells us that that’s the case. The economists tell us that’s the case.” Advertisement 4.52am Energy minister doesn’t accept Coalition’s ‘very dodgy’ nuclear figures By Josefine Ganko Energy Minister Chris Bowen says he doesn’t accept the Coalition’s claim that Labor’s energy policies will cost $594 billion, as the debate over whose plan will cost more gets underway. The Coalition will claim their nuclear energy policy will be $263 billion cheaper than Labor’s renewables plan, costing $331 billion. Joining ABC News Breakfast ahead of the release of Peter Dutton’s nuclear energy costing later today, Bowen said Coalition must have done some “mental gymnastics” to come up with those numbers. “We’ll go through the details today, I don’t believe they have released it to the ABC or the ALP, funnily enough,” Bowen said. Loading The energy minister said they must have made some “very heroic assumptions” and “really stretched the truth” to come up with the “very dodgy figures”. Bowen said he “doesn’t accept” the $594 billion figure for renewables, an estimate modelled by consultancy Frontier Economics for the Coalition. “What they have also done is very clearly in the costings of their own policy rejected the CSIRO and AEMO’s work,” Bowen said. “What the Coalition is asking the Australian people to believe is this: That they can introduce the most expensive form of energy and it will end up being cheaper. It won’t pass the pub test. It won’t pass the sniff test because it is just a fantasy.” 4.36am CSIRO defends itself against Dutton bias accusation By Mike Foley The nation’s top science agency has declared its independence after Opposition Leader Peter Dutton accused the CSIRO of bias in its findings that nuclear is the most expensive energy source. CSIRO’s GenCost report, released on Monday, found yet again that nuclear was at least 50 per cent more expensive than renewables, and it would take at least 15 years to build the first reactor in Australia. Loading The opposition claims nuclear power is cheaper and quicker to build than this. Dutton responded to the news with an accusation that the CSIRO had ceded to political interference by Energy Minister Chris Bowen. “It just looks to me like there’s a heavy hand of Chris Bowen in all this,” Dutton said on Monday morning. CSIRO released a statement last night that declared: “We conduct our independent, rigorous research without fear or favour. We do not advocate, defend or debate the merits of government or opposition policies. To assert otherwise requires compelling evidence.” The statement went on to state it conducts research in the national interest: CSIRO conducts research in the national interest that will benefit the Australian community – from navigating the energy transition to adapting to a changing climate to safeguarding Australia from pathogens that threaten our health, biodiversity and food supply. These areas have a direct impact on the Australian community and naturally give rise to a range of views and opinions. For an organisation like CSIRO, this means we can be caught in the middle of debates. CSIRO can be trusted to deliver independent, non-partisan and high-quality research to help solve the challenges facing Australia and Australians.” 4.20am Airports brace for chaos as Qantas engineers begin 24-hour strike By Josefine Ganko Airports around the country are bracing for chaos as hundreds of Qantas engineers walk off the job. But the airline has assured customers there will be no impact on their travel plans on one of the busiest travel days of the year. Around 500 workers from three different unions began a 24-hour strike action at 3.30am this morning. It’s expected to impact major airports across the country, including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, and will end at 7.30am on Saturday. Friday marks the first day of the 6-week summer travel period when 13.5 million travellers pass through Australia’s domestic airports. It’s also the first day of school holidays in South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland. A Qantas aircraft at Melbourne, one of the airports affected by the industrial action. Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui The striking workers, responsible for the towing and marshalling of planes, are calling for a 5 per cent per year pay increase over 5 years after what they say is 3.5 years of frozen wages. Qantas says it has put forward a competitive package with 3 per cent per year over three years, with negotiations now at a stalemate. Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union National Secretary Steve Murphy says industrial action was the only way to get Qantas to the bargaining table. It’s been six weeks since the last strike. “Workers have no other choice. They will be taking industrial action to bring Qantas back to the bargaining table,” Murphy said. Loading “Qantas is to blame if there’s any disruption to commuters over the holiday period. They have had six weeks to simply do what they said they would.” A Qantas spokesperson said a number of contingencies are in place to prevent delays. “Around 160 aircraft maintenance engineers are rostered on during Friday’s industrial action, and only members of the alliance unions can take industrial action,” said Qantas. The spokesperson noted there were no delays or cancellations during the previous strikes. Advertisement 3.57am Peter Dutton to reveal nuclear energy proposal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton will ask Australians to support hundreds of billions of dollars in new spending on nuclear energy, including a controversial move to use taxpayer subsidies to build the industry while promising to bring down household electricity bills. Loading Dutton is expected to reveal more details of his plan on Friday with a pledge to build seven full-scale nuclear power stations , rather than smaller “modular” reactors, to deliver baseload electricity and lower the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. Coalition MPs will be briefed on the plan in a party room meeting on Friday morning at 10am. A key part of the plan will be an assumption that coal-fired power stations will continue to operate while a Coalition government awards contracts to build the nuclear plants, even though energy companies are planning to stop using coal over the next two decades. Read the full story, including the results of exclusive polling, here. Latest 1 of 2 Oldest Latest Oldest Most Viewed in National LoadingNone

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SHERIDAN — President-elect Donald Trump’s Agenda 47 campaign pledged to close the Department of Education in Washington, D.C., in an effort to send all education work back to the states. Although eliminating the department would not only require congressional approval but also a supermajority of 60 votes in the Senate, according to a Washington Post article, local school superintendents recently shared their thoughts on the possible future of education. “It would take time. This is not something that immediately would take place, even if Congress were to vote to basically dissolve the department,” Sheridan County School District 2 Superintendent Scott Stults said. “I don’t believe that the suggestion is that not only you dissolve the Department of Education, but you also dissolve the money and the money doesn’t go to education. I think the premise behind that is that there should be more local control of where that money goes. I’m always a proponent of local control.” Agenda 47 is a collection of formal policy plans of Trump, many of which would rely on executive orders and significantly expanded executive power in order to be executed, according to USA Today. “We want (the states) to run the education of our children because they’ll do a much better job of it. You can’t do worse,” Trump said in an Agenda 47 September 2023 video, which was posted on his platform page. “We’re going to end education coming out of Washington, D.C..... We’re going to send it all back to the states.” In the September 2023 video, Trump announced his 10 educational principles for Agenda 47, which included project-based learning, freedom to pray in school, universal school choice and other principles shared on his platform page. Trump also announced he plans to cut federal funding for any school or program pushing critical race theory, gender ideology or “other inappropriate racial, sexual or political content onto our children,” in his January 2023 video regarding education. Established in 1980, the U.S. Department of Education’s mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. The department establishes policies relating to federal financial aid for education, administers distribution of those funds and monitors their use. It also enforces federal statutes prohibiting discrimination in programs and activities receiving federal funds and ensures equal access to education for every individual, according to its website. The department has no say in developing curriculum, determining requirements for enrollment and graduation, and much of the structure of education finance in the U.S. reflects the primary state and local role, according to the department’s website. Sheridan County School District 1 Superintendent Jeff Jones said he was open to the idea of localizing control of educational decisions. “This ‘help’ over the last century (from the DOE) has turned into one-size-fits-all mandates for all schools across the country. We have more than enough information at our fingertips in 2024 to know what does and doesn’t work in education. We also have ways to access new information that doesn’t involve traveling in a horse and buggy,” Jones said in an email to The Sheridan Press. “I am much more confident in the people in our state and local communities knowing what is best for students in our school district than those working in Washington D.C.” Sheridan County School District 3 Superintendent Chase Christensen said he could see a situation where the department could go away and the states would then be granted the funding streams to decide how and where to allocate them. What concerns Christensen on potentially seeing funding streams move from the federal level to the state level is the possibility of allocation on a per pupil basis, he said. “As the smallest district in the state, I often see situations where, when we’re funded on a per pupil basis, the dollars just don’t add up to be enough that they’re able to make the difference that we would hope that they do,” Christensen said. Stults said there can be some advantages to local and state control on federal money, if the department were to be removed and the money were to go directly to the states. “If money is given, then there needs to be expectations as to what that should look like and how it should be spent, and there should be some guidance in regards to that,” Stults said. “If the U.S. Department of Education goes away, the money goes directly to the states and the money is still there as far as quantity or more, and then the state gets to dictate how that works and we have some say in that? I think there’s some advantages to that because we know where the money would be best spent and how it would have the greatest impact on student learning.” Fremont County School District 6 Superintendent Troy Zickefoose said although he is anxious about the proposed changes, he does not feel fearful. “For me, if it helps eliminate some bureaucracy and some of the requirements, the burdens that are put on districts, I’m game to see what happens. It does make people nervous, but the path that we’re on right now just doesn’t seem as beneficial as it could be. I think there’s some things that can be done to streamline things,” Zickefoose said. “The consolidated grant — which is Title I, Title II, Title III — it is anything but consolidated. It’s numerous mini grants piled into one program. So if some things like that could be addressed and streamlined, give the money to the state or to districts and then let them decide how best to spend it, instead of all the stipulations (and) requirements, I’m game to see what happens.” Ultimately, Christensen said schools need to continue to meet diverse needs. “We’re going to continue to see students that need to be prepared in different ways for the workforce and meeting them where they’re at and making sure that they’re ready for the future is going to take some preparation on our part,” Christensen said. Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, sports, arts & entertainment, state legislature, CFD news, and more.NoneTrump is named Time's Person of the Year and rings the New York Stock Exchange's opening bell NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange after being recognized by Time magazine as its person of the year. The honors Thursday for the businessman-turned-politician are a measure of Trump’s remarkable comeback from an ostracized former president who refused to accept his election loss four years ago to a president-elect who won the White House decisively in November. At the stock exchange, Trump was accompanied by his wife, Melania Trump, daughters Ivanka and Tiffany and Vice President-elect JD Vance. Trump grinned as people chanted “USA” before he opened the trading day and raised his fist. YouTube TV is hiking its monthly price, again. Here's what to know NEW YORK (AP) — Are you a YouTube TV subscriber? Your monthly bills are about to get more expensive again. YouTube has announced that it’s upping the price of its streaming service’s base plan by $10 — citing rising content costs and other investments. The new $82.99 per month price tag will go into effect starting Jan. 13 for existing subscribers, and immediately for new customers who sign up going forward. YouTube TV has rolled out a series of price hikes over the years. When launched back in 2017, the going price of its streaming package was $35 a month. By 2019, that fee rose to $50 — and has climbed higher and higher since. Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre's brotherhood is still strong after 30 years with new album 'Missionary' LOS ANGELES (AP) — When it comes to music, there’s one person in particular Snoop Dogg trusts to steer the ship without question: hit-making producer Dr. Dre. Their bond, built over 30 years of brotherhood, began when Dr. Dre shaped Snoop’s game-changing debut, “Doggystyle,” a cornerstone of hip-hop history. From young dreamers chasing stardom to legends cementing their legacies, the duo has always moved in sync. Now, the dynamic pair reunites for Snoop’s “Missionary,” his milestone 20th studio album, which releases Friday. The 15-track project features several big-name guest appearances including Eminem, 50 Cent, Sting, Method Man, Jelly Roll, Tom Petty, Jhené Aiko and Method Man. Country star Morgan Wallen sentenced in chair-throwing case NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Country music star Morgan Wallen has pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of reckless endangerment. He had been charged for throwing a chair from the rooftop of a six-story bar in Nashville and nearly hitting two police officers with it. Wallen appeared in court alongside his attorney on Thursday. He was sentenced to spend seven days in a DUI education center and will be under supervised probation for two years. According to the arrest affidavit, Wallen was accused of throwing a chair off the roof of Chief’s bar on April 7. The chair landed about a yard from the officers. Witnesses told police they saw Wallen pick up a chair, throw it off the roof and laugh about it. Indian teen Gukesh Dommaraju becomes the youngest chess world champion after beating Chinese rival NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian teenager Gukesh Dommaraju has become the youngest chess world champion after beating the defending champion Ding Liren of China. Dommaraju, 18, secured 7.5 points against 6.5 of his Chinese rival in Thursday's game which was played in Singapore. He has surpassed the achievement of Russia’s Garry Kasparov who won the title at the age of 22. Dommaraju is now also the second Indian to win the title after five-time world chess champion Viswanathan Anand. The Indian teen prodigy has long been considered a rising star in the chess world after he became a chess grandmaster at 12. He had entered the match as the youngest-ever challenger to the world crown after winning the Candidates tournament earlier this year. 'Vanderpump Rules' star James Kennedy arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic violence BURBANK, Calif. (AP) — Police say “Vanderpump Rules” star James Kennedy has been arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic violence. Police in Burbank, California, say officers investigated reports of an argument between a man and a woman at a residence late Tuesday night and arrested the 32-year-old Kennedy. He was released from jail after posting bail. A representative of Kennedy did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. The Burbank city attorney will decide whether to file charges. Kennedy is a DJ and reality TV star who has appeared for 10 seasons on “Vanderpump Rules” — the Bravo series about the lives of employees at a set of swank restaurants. The wife of a Wisconsin kayaker who faked his own death moves to end their marriage MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The wife of a Wisconsin kayaker who faked his own drowning so he could abscond to Europe has filed a court action to end the couple's marriage. Online court records indicate Emily Borgwardt filed a petition in Dodge County Circuit Court on Thursday seeking to annul her marriage to Ryan Borgwardt. A hearing has been set for April. According to court documents, Ryan Borgwardt staged his own drowning by leaving his overturned kayak floating on Green Lake. He flew to Eastern Europe, where he spent several days in a hotel with a woman before taking up residence in the country of Georgia. He is charged with misdemeanor obstruction in Green Lake County. San Francisco names street for Associated Press photographer who captured the iconic Iwo Jima photo SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A block in downtown San Francisco has been renamed for acclaimed photojournalist Joe Rosenthal, who won the Pulitzer Prize for his iconic photo of U.S. Marines raising the flag on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima during WWII. The longtime staff photographer for the San Francisco Chronicle, who died in 2006 at age 94, is also remembered for the 35 years he spent documenting the city's famous and not so famous for the daily newspaper. He photographed a young Willie Mays getting his hat fitted as a San Francisco Giant in 1957. He also photographed joyous children making a mad dash for freedom on the last day of school in 1965. Nearly half of US teens are online 'constantly,' Pew report finds Nearly half of American teenagers say they are online “constantly,” despite concerns about the effects of social media and smartphones on their mental health. That's according to a new report published Thursday by the Pew Research Center. As in past years, YouTube was the single most popular platform teenagers used — 90% said they watched videos on the site, down slightly from 95% in 2022. There was a slight downward trend in several popular apps teens used. For instance, 63% of teens said they used TikTok, down from 67% and Snapchat slipped to 55% from 59%. Wander Franco's sex abuse trial has been postponed 5 months PUERTO PLATA, Dominican Republic (AP) — The trial against Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, who has been charged with sexually abusing a minor, sexual and commercial exploitation against a minor, and human trafficking, has been postponed until June 2, 2025. Dominican judge Yacaira Veras postponed the hearing Thursday at the request of prosecutors because of the absence of several key witnesses in the case. Franco’s lawyers asked the court to reconsider the postponement, arguing Franco must report to spring training in mid-February. The judge replied that Franco is obligated to continue with the trial schedule and his conditional release from detainment.

WASATCH RANGE, Utah ― was just getting open with a handful of trails groomed and lifts spinning in early December. Nearby, on the back side of the Wasatch Range, also had a limited amount of skiable terrain, but was working to get more open. Utahns insisted that the conditions were relatively awful, but anyone used to skiing or riding on the East Coast would feel like it was the middle of their season. Daytime highs above freezing at the mountain bases weren’t helping the season get off the ground though, and the warm, sunny weather hinted at the long-term struggles ski resorts face as the climate changes and winters continue to heat up in many places. But skiers and snowboarders shouldn’t trade in their lift tickets for beach passes just yet. The ski industry is making investments on a global scale to ensure their operations become more sustainable and to keep people on the snow longer every year, despite the weather’s unpredictability. Over the course of nearly a week in Utah in early December, USA TODAY got a first-hand look at how two mountains are responding to climate change. Their efforts reflect broader trends in the industry, and while ski resorts will certainly have to adapt to a changing climate, new technologies and best practices shared between mountain operators provide plenty of hope that snow sports aren’t going extinct any time soon. Black diamond markings on the mountain usually denote difficult terrain, and it’s inarguable that climate change is complicating things for ski resorts. “We’ve seen increases in temperature, which leads to all sorts of events that impact snowpack,” Lee Parton, an assistant professor of economics and an environmental economist at Boise State University, told USA TODAY. “People respond with where they book, and where they choose to go is sensitive to how much snow resorts are getting.” Parton is also a member of the Science Alliance at , an advocacy group that focuses on how climate change is affecting the outdoors industry. The group is cleareyed that severe climate change is likely to curtail how much people can participate in life outdoors, particularly in snow sports. At Solitude, slopes maintenance manager Todd Dohman said the early season is when the effects of climate change are most noticeable. That’s when the mountain relies most heavily on artificial snowmaking, which only works if the temperature cooperates. “Snowmaking is crucial for the early season,” Dohman told USA TODAY during a morning grooming run. Without a solid base of snow, trails can’t get groomed and may not have sufficient surface coverage to open. But the mountains can’t make snow if temperatures aren’t cold enough, and natural snow has only been falling in large quantities later in the season in recent years at many resorts, according Andria Huskinson, communication and public relations manager at Solitude. Especially at mountains that rely on older generations of snowmaking machines, there may only be a few hours overnight to put down artificial powder, which limits how quickly more terrain can be opened. Dohman said recent weather trends in the Wasatch Range have meant that colder temperatures often don’t arrive at Solitude until later in the season, which can lead to a long runway to getting the mountain fully open. Mountain towns are still pretty reliant on snow sport tourism overall, but many are adapting by adding off-season activities as well. Both Solitude and Park City have worked on building out their moutain biking and hiking infrastructure, and many ski resorts also run robust summer programs including concerts, festivals, conferences and other outdoor activities. Artificial snowmaking is increasingly going to be the lynchpin of the ski industry as winters get warmer in many places. “With climate change, we’re getting less and less snow,” Chad Avery, a snowmaking manager at Canyons Village at Park City Mountain, told USA TODAY. For decades, snowmaking was relatively uncommon at western ski resorts. It grew in popularity at East Coast resorts first, where more variable winter weather meant mountains couldn’t rely on natural snowfall to stay open all season. But snow isn’t falling as reliably anywhere anymore, especially early in the winter, and mountains around the world are investing heavily in snowmaking to keep their seasons going. “It’s going to lead to a ‘winners and losers’ scenario particularly related to snow sports,” Parton said. “People substitute across resorts and they’re going to go where the snow is.” Higher elevation resorts and those in areas with steady colder temperatures throughout the winter are likely to struggle less as the climate changes. Park City Mountain, with a relatively low base elevation compared to many other mountains in the American West, invested millions in new snowmaking machines for this season, and Avery said he’s already noticing a difference. “The new guns are amazing,” he said. They’re more energy- and water-efficient than the previous generation of snowmaking machines, and sensors let the team automate much of the process to turn them on and off, meaning they can maximize even limited windows when the conditions are right to make snow. At Solitude, which still currently relies more heavily on older snowmaking technology compared to Park City Mountain, the snowmaking guns were largely shut off during the day, while at Park City they were able to run even in the afternoon in areas of the mountain where temperatures were cold enough. Solitude has plans to upgrade its snowmaking machines in the near future, according to Huskinson. New snowmaking machines are more energy- and water-efficient than their predecessors and are technologically optimized with built in sensors to take advantage of favorable weather conditions whenever they strike. The upshot is that more advanced snowmaking technology and fine-tuned grooming practices are allowing resorts to stay open later into the spring once they have a decent base of powder down. Huskinson said Solitude has been able to open earlier and stay open later into the year as it increased its snowmaking capabilities. She said the mountain also often receives more natural snowfall than some other resorts in the area. Once the snow base is down though, it takes almost constant maintenance to keep a mountain rideable. When all the terrain at Solitude is fully open, Dohman said, it takes 16 hours of grooming split between two eight-hour overnight shifts to keep the mountain in skiing shape for eight hours a day. The snow sports industry is definitely worried about climate change, but no one is sounding its death knell yet. Avery, the snowmaker at Canyons Village at Park City Mountain, said that new technology is helping the resort adapt and produce better quality artificial snow than ever. Parton, the economist, said skiers and snowboarders may have to get more deliberate about where they plan to make their turns every season, but they should be able to ride well into the future, especially if they hold one of the major resort passes, Epic or Ikon. Both passes offer different versions, with the most expansive (and expensive) covering mountains on nearly every continent. Less expensive regional and time-limited passes are also available from both providers. “Some areas are projected to get a lot more snow under higher emissions scenarios, and they could be the winners,” Parton said. “Recreationalists and winter sports enthusiasts have more options for substitution of where they go with mega passes like the Epic Pass and Ikon Pass.” .Conservative Texas lawmakers and power brokers in recent years have criticized university professors for being “woke” activists who indoctrinate college students with far-left teachings and ideas. Now, as state lawmakers head back to the Capitol for the 2025 legislative session, they could limit the influence faculty have over campus culture and curriculum. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick wants lawmakers to recommend potential changes to the roles of faculty senates, which traditionally take the lead on developing curriculum — and ensuring professors have the academic freedom to teach and research their subject areas without fear of political interference. But conservatives say university curriculum has been infused with ideologies that have helped take higher education in Texas in an overly liberal direction. “If we’re going to refocus our universities on their mission of open inquiry and freedom of speech, we’ve got to take a look at the curriculum and who’s controlling it,” Sherry Sylvester, a fellow at the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation, told state senators in November. Some Texas professors, though, fear the Republican-controlled Legislature could undermine a long-standing balance of power at universities that’s meant to protect higher education from politicization. Their concerns are that without a proper voice on campus, and a guarantee that faculty have control over their teaching and research, faculty might leave Texas or be less likely to take a job at a Texas university, research would be imperiled, and there would be no checks and balances on university leadership. “There’s very clearly an ideological based attack against higher education and more specifically against faculty,” said Michael Harris, a professor of higher education at Southern Methodist University, a private institution in Dallas. “A place where faculty are most noticeable is a faculty senate.” Here’s a look at faculty senates in Texas and the role they play in higher education. Faculty senates are made up of professors from across a university. The body approves academic policies, curriculum design, faculty hiring and evaluation, and other issues that impact the academic mission. They also relay university-wide news and plans back to their colleagues.. The senates often meet monthly and invite guests from the administration to speak directly to faculty on university issues. “They provide a critical advisory voice on so many things we do on campus,” Texas A&M University President Mark Welsh recently told reporters. “The faculty senate does work that is fundamentally important to what we do as a university.” Faculty at many Texas universities elect a professor in their specific college to serve as a representative on the senate. Faculty will typically elect a chair or co-chairs for a one or two year term. Other faculty members can serve on specific committees that provide recommendations to leadership on specific issues, such as budget, research or facility planning. Faculty say that it’s vital that they have a voice in the decision making processes and that university boards of regents listen to those on the ground when making decisions that impact their work. “At a Fortune 500 company, you wouldn’t want the CEO to make every single decision,” said Harris, the SMU professor. “They don’t have time. People close to the product line or business aspect are best able to do that. The same thing is true here. You want your faculty who teach undergrads to make policy (about undergrads). They know the issues there better.” Bill Carroll served as president of the University of Texas at Arlington’s faculty senate four years ago. He said administrators often haven’t taught in a classroom in years and rely on current faculty to share their experiences that can help shape decision-making. “The faculty senate can provide that input and that information to administration so they can understand how the faculty are perceiving things and understand what faculty needs to do their job in an effective way,” he said. Public universities and university systems are overseen by boards of regents, who are appointed by the governor. Those boards hire university presidents, who serve as a CEO of the institution. While there is nothing in state law that specifies how faculty senates should be organized or function, many universities have adopted rules based on the American Association of University Professors’ guidance that faculty have academic freedom in the classroom and in research. They also rely on the 1966 Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities to guide how boards, presidents and faculty senates interact to operate the university. This statement was developed by national organizations that represent faculty, university presidents and governing boards. The statement spells out who should handle each sector of university operations. “It’s not something that was just drawn up by faculty saying, ‘Here is our best practice, deal with it,’” said Joey Velasco, president of the Texas Council of Faculty Senates who also teaches at Sul Ross State University in Far West Texas. “It really was a joint effort.” Faculty should be responsible for curriculum, methods of instruction and research, the statement reads. If the governing board or university president ultimately makes a decision that goes against the faculty’s wishes, that statement urges the board or president to communicate those reasons with the faculty. “It’s through open dialogue and mutual respect and a shared vision that faculty, administrators and governing boards can ensure their institutions continue to thrive,” Velasco said. Faculty senates found themselves in Patrick’s crosshairs three years ago when he boldly declared he wanted to end tenure for new faculty hires at Texas’ public universities. It was a radical legislative priority condemned by faculty groups across the country. At the time, Patrick was honest about his motivations: he was angry at The Faculty Council at the University of Texas at Austin. The elected group of faculty had passed a nonbinding resolution reaffirming their right to teach critical race theory in the college classroom after the state banned its teaching in K-12 schools. In the statement, faculty at UT-Austin said they will “stand firm against any and all encroachment on faculty authority including by the legislature or the Board of Regents.” Patrick called the professors “Loony Marxists” on social media and accused them of poisoning the minds of college students with such teaching. Ending tenure would make it easier to terminate or punish faculty who were teaching these ideas. Patrick ultimately was unable to outright ban tenure at Texas’ public universities. But Harris said it’s clear that the Faculty Council “poked the bear.” “I do wonder, were it not for that, would it have been as much on the radar,” Harris said, though he feels like the wave of similar actions at universities in other states, such as Florida , would’ve led Texas to take similar routes. Faculty senates largely garner the most attention outside the university when they issue a vote of no confidence in a school leader. These votes are non binding, but are meant as a way for faculty to express their discontent with the direction a president is taking the school. Sometimes, they can lead to the resignation of a university leader. Other times, they’re completely ignored. Last year, most faculty members at West Texas A&M University in Canyon said they lost confidence in the president for a variety of issues, including his decision to cancel a student drag show on campus. Nothing happened after the vote and Walter Wendler remained president. At Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, faculty took a vote of no confidence in the leadership of former President Scott Gordon after he accepted an $85,000 pay bump amid a COVID-19 budget shortfall. In that case, the board of regents stood behind Gordon despite the no confidence vote. Still, he stepped down six months later. Nationally, a Chronicle of Higher Education analysis found that a president ends up leaving office within a year of a no-confidence vote about half of the time. This spring, more than 600 faculty at UT-Austin signed a letter stating they had no confidence in President Jay Hartzell’s leadership after police arrested a swath of pro-Palestinian demonstrators protesting the war in Gaza. However, that letter came from the UT-Austin chapter of the American Association of University Professors, not the Faculty Council. Across the country, other states have sought to curtail the power and freedoms of faculty. The Arizona Legislature passed a law that would reduce the power of faculty senates. The bill eliminated language in the state that says the faculty “shall participate in” or “share responsibility” for academic and personnel decisions. Instead, professors could only “consult with” university leaders on decisions. Arizona’s Democratic governor vetoed the bill. When Florida passed a higher education bill that banned diversity, equity and inclusion programs at public institutions last year, it also included language that said public university presidents and administrators are not bound by faculty recommendations or opinions in hiring decisions. In Texas, at a November state Senate Higher Education Subcommittee meeting, Sylvestor, with the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation, suggested that the Legislature require all faculty senate votes to be public, all meetings be open to the public and live streamed, and all curriculum changes made public. Many faculty senates at Texas universities already livestream their meetings and post agendas and minutes online. Velasco with the Texas Council for Faculty Senates said many votes are taken publicly, too. But there are instances when private voting is better, he said, such as when faculty vote whether to award tenure. This story was originally published by The Texas Tribune and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.