casino online game app
Great Osobor scored 12 points, grabbed six rebounds and had three assists in 18 minutes of playing time as Washington wrapped up nonconference action with a 90-53 rout of NJIT on Sunday afternoon in Seattle. Zoom Diallo came off the bench to contribute 12 points and a game-high five assists for the Huskies (9-4), and Wilhelm Breidenbach, who missed Monday's 79-70 upset loss to Seattle U., added 10 points and five rebounds. Sebastian Robinson led the Highlanders (2-12) with 16 points, Tim Moore Jr. scored 14 and Ari Fulton added 11. NJIT, which suffered its third consecutive defeat and dropped to 0-9 on the road, played without leading scorer Tariq Francis (18.6 ppg) because of an ankle injury. The Huskies shot 34 of 61 from the field (55.7 percent) and were 10 of 24 from 3-point range. NJIT was 19 of 51 (37.3 percent) and just 3 of 17 from distance. Washington forced 13 turnovers while committing just five, leading to a 17-4 edge in points off miscues. The Huskies also had sizable advantages in points off the bench (47-4), in the paint (42-24) and in fastbreak scoring (17-0). The Huskies led 46-26 at the half as Osobor, Breidenbach and Mekhi Mason each scored seven points. Osobor scored the game's first five points and Mason made a 3-pointer to give the Huskies an 8-2 lead. A jumper by Mason extended the lead to 26-16 with 8:30 left in the first half. The Huskies continued to pull away, with Jase Butler capping an 8-0 run with a 3-pointer to make it 42-22 with 2:29 remaining before the intermission. A 9-0 run gave Washington its first 30-point lead of the day at 60-30 with 15:24 still to play. The Huskies led by as many as 40 on Luis Kortright's fastbreak layup at the 7:09 mark. Mason, Kortright, Christian King and KC Ibekwe all scored nine points for Washington. Washington resumes Big Ten Conference play Thursday when Maryland makes a trip to the West Coast. The Highlanders have one more nonconference game before opening America East play Jan. 9. --Field Level Media
Marathon petroleum director Jeffrey Campbell acquires $897,644 in stockATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” the center simply said in posting about Carter's death on the social media platform X. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A president from Plains A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. And then, the world Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors . He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” ‘An epic American life’ Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners . He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. A small-town start James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. His mother, Lillian , would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year he married Rosalynn Smith, another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. His decision angered Rosalynn, even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox — and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. And in 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. 'Jimmy Who?' His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided, as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were no more talented than he was. In 1974, he ran Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy for 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. Walter “Fritz” Mondale as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. Accomplishments, and ‘malaise’ Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and nonwhite people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. 'A wonderful life' At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015 . “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” ___ Former Associated Press journalist Alex Sanz contributed to this report. Bill Barrow, The Associated PressSmall businesses across Northwest Indiana hope to pull in a share of the $989 billion the National Retail Federation estimates projects consumers will spend this holiday season. They've been hosting events to lure shoppers, bringing in Santa for photos, running deals, opening pop-ups at malls and breaking out all the stops for the all-critical holiday shopping season. Many hope to turn the increased traffic of seasonal gift-buyers into regular customers. The Crown Antique Mall at 545 E 110th Ave in Crown Point is having its Christmas Open House from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. It will have snacks, drinks, discounts, raffles and giveaways throughout the shop. Santa will make an appearance to pose for photos from 12-2 p.m. "Vendors across the store will offer anywhere from 10% to 60% off," owner Mark Kratkoczki said. "People come to buy vintage items. Repurpose, recycle and reuse has meaning. It's better quality than what's at the big box stores. It has stood the test of time." The Crown Antique Mall tries to get gift buyers to return throughout the year by letting them know about its regular events such as car shows and celebrity meet-and-greets. Over the past year, it has hosted Butch Patrick, Bozo the Cown, Fred "The Hammer" Williams and Jimmy Hart. Smugglers Coffee at 237 Matteson St in Dyer has been hosting the Roaming Wedge Mobile Cheese Shop and BNZ Pop-Ups, which consists of the former chefs at Windmill Brewing, to lure holiday shoppers. It's also hosting events like Dungeons and Dragons games, board night and caffeine and create nights. "A lot of people have been buying barrel-aged coffee," owner Dave Fajman said. "People say they're buying it as a stocking stuffer or for a boss. Or they're buying it online and sending it as a gift." It will do a special release of its seasonal Elves with Murder Toys coffee, in a bag that depicts elves using candy canes as weapons, on Friday, Dec. 13. "We let the quality of the product speak for itself. There's not a lot of places to find barrel-aged coffee," he said. "We also have other items that make good gifts like hot sauces and Dungeons and Dragons stuff." Golden Afternoon at 2817 Highway Ave in downtown Highland got decked out for the holiday season. "There is a large wreath we were given by Nancy Brumm after she and Jerry retired and closed Brumm's Bloomin' Barn. We decorated it with modern-colored lights and hung it over the store under the sign. At night it's really majestic looking," Manager Aaron Shloss said. "The front of the store is composed of tall, wide plate glass windows that let passersby see inside. (Owner) Cameryn (Friederichs) has gone out of her way to decorate the sales floor in such a way as to inspire maximal wonder and excitement when people stumble out of Rodney's and Growlers at night and see all of the trees and holiday displays lit up from inside. She wants it to be very much like an old-time department store... faces pressed to the glass windows, eyes wide and replete with wonder, taking everything in." The gift shop and florist in downtown Highland tries to conjure up a traditional shopping experience. "During shopping hours when customers come in and browse they are never disappointed. But yeah, the anticipation is the key. The gifts and decor we carry speak to a whimsical aesthetic and we strive to offer goods that are as fun as they are unique," Shloss said. "It isn't just another collection of Yankee Candles and cheap Santa Claus screenprint hoodies. We are an old-fashioned gift shop that truly understands the magic of the season and the quality of merchandise and selection that modern shoppers require to pull them away from Amazon and HomeGoods." The Christmas season is huge for any retailer, but especially independent locally owned shops, Shloss said. Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts "For an independent retailer of gifts and floral arrangements it's arguably the biggest sales opportunity of the year, bigger than Valentine's Day, bigger than Mother's Day, because people are not just buying flowers from us but also gifts... and lots of them," he said. "The floral end of things is huge for the holidays because people order table centerpieces for Thanksgiving and Christmas but they also have big gatherings that they accent with flowers... and not to mention that for many people spread across the country who cannot spend time with all of the loved ones on their list, floral deliveries are a great way to say, 'Hey, I miss you, I'm sorry I can't be there for the holidays but I am thinking of you.'" Customers just tend to spend more when out buying gifts for others during the holiday season, said Shloss, a former manager at Brumm's Bloomin' Barn. "As far as gifts go, I mean, this is the time of year when people splurge without guilt. All of the hype and hoopla about giving better than receiving really is true and people find that little spark in themselves to go all out. Jerry Brumm used to tell me that Brumm's Bloomin' Barn sold as much or more in the last two months of the year than in the rest of the year combined. And it was true," he said. "I saw it when I worked for him, learning the industry, year after year. It was nonstop. So yeah, the money aspect was great, but it really does speak to a deeper human truth that people love shopping and giving gifts to each other and decorating their homes with ornaments and holiday swag. It's just a massive season for any retailer but for independents like us, it really could make or break us." Whiting will host its Kris Kringle Market downtown from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and again on Saturday, Dec. 14 in a heated tent in an empty lot at 1515 119th Street. People can browse from vendors at the German-style holiday market, warm up with hot cocoa, get spiked hot cocoa with Irish Cream, sip mulled wine and hear music from the Whiting and Hammond high school choirs and the 119th Street Carolers. They also can sign up for horse-drawn Christmas wagon rides from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Many of the merchants along 119th Street will keep longer hours to capitalize off the increased traffic. "We're happy to get more exposure. We hope people come out to shop with us, the Junkyard, Nostalgic Treasures and other small shops," said Joel Bender, the owner of Mind Benders Puzzles & Games at 1442 119th Street. "Every dollar you spent at a small business in the community stays in the community. We eat at local restaurants. We sponsor local baseball. That spending is staying in town." Hammond is hosting a Holiday Stroll from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday in which 18 local businesses will take part, including the Eat restaurant at 5201 Hohman Avenue that's run by El Taco Real's Raymundo Garcia and is only open for special occasions. It will feature hot chocolate stops, face painting, contests, raffles and holiday activities. Karven Maravilla, the owner of It's Just Serendipity at 5630 Hohman Avenue, said events were planned throughout the holiday season to draw shoppers. It's Just Serendipity is hosting an ongoing open house through Dec. 24 honoring Hammond native Jean Shepherd, the author of "A Christmas Story." It's Just Serendipity is running sales between 20% and 75% off and gifts with purchases this December. Anyone who spends more than $25 is entered to win a door prize. It also has sweets and treats including "Ohhhhhh fudge" from OMG Pastries, Ovaltini chocolate martinis and a window scavenger hunt in which people can enter to win a "Major Award" by counting all the references to "A Christmas Story" in the front window." The "Bumpus Hound" Isabella will also be greeting customers to the vintage boutique. She encourages everyone to shop local when they can. "Please rethink your choice to shop online. Imagine the places that you like to shop. Imagine downtowns, cities, towns. Imagine what these places would look like if these small businesses were no longer there. It would be a ghost town," she said. "If you say that shopping online is more convenient or that it saves money, think again. It is robbing our communities of jobs, economic development, income, and much more. The impact of shopping online has a far-reaching effect and is hurting our local economies." Small businesses rely on holiday shopping, Maravilla said. "Supporting small businesses and brick and mortar businesses means that you're in the communities where you live, developing relationships with real people. These relationships develop into loyal customers, friends, and business referrals," she said. "Stores are closing at an alarming rate as a result of people choosing to shop online. Many stores that are open are being forced to carry less inventory because people are choosing to shop online. This is causing a detrimental domino effect to small businesses. Occasionally, one cannot find what one needs at a local store, so buying online is an alternative. However, on a day-to-day basis, please make the choice to support small and local businesses in Northwest Indiana." It offers bubble tea in a variety of flavors including green tea, oolong tea, black tea, matcha tea and fresh fruit tea. The menu also includes rolled ice cream, coffee, frappes, yogurt, fresh milk and milk tea. Ice cream flavors include Nutella, Banana, Oreo, Fruit Lover and Summer Tango. Teas include Strawberry Oolong Tea, Crush Peach Black Tea, Peach Orange Lemongrass Black Tea, Tropical Fruit Green Tea, Tropical Fruit Oolong Tea, Honeydew Green Apple Oolong Tea, Grapefruit Jasmine Green Tea, Navel Orange Jasmine Green Tea, Kiwi Jasmine Green Tea, Happy Tea, Lychee Black Tea and Pomegranate Black Tea. Owner Bach “Andy” Pham bought the 10,000-square-foot building and opened The Boba Tea Cafe, B Nail Lounge and Viet-Ship. The latter allows people to go into the Boba Tea Cafe and ship money or packages to Vietnam. For more information, call 219-999-7997.
The TOI Entertainment Desk is a dynamic and dedicated team of journalists, working tirelessly to bring the pulse of the entertainment world straight to the readers of The Times of India. No red carpet goes unrolled, no stage goes dark - our team spans the globe, bringing you the latest scoops and insider insights from Bollywood to Hollywood, and every entertainment hotspot in between. We don't just report; we tell tales of stardom and stories untold. Whether it's the rise of a new sensation or the seasoned journey of an industry veteran, the TOI Entertainment Desk is your front-row seat to the fascinating narratives that shape the entertainment landscape. Beyond the breaking news, we present a celebration of culture. We explore the intersections of entertainment with society, politics, and everyday life. Read More Anikha Surendran shines in blue elegance How to make South Indian-style Ghee Roast Eggs for dinner Aditi Rao Hydari's bridal look continues to steal the spotlight 8 healthiest sources of selenium 9 best sources of calcium other than milk Tamannaah Bhatia works her denim magic in a chic bodycon dress 10 most remote tourist destinations to explore this new year From Rashmika Mandanna to Samantha Ruth Prabhu: Best celeb-inspired lehengas for South Indian brides 9 baby girl names that mean beauty in SanskritNutrien Ltd. (NYSE:NTR) Increases Dividend to $0.94 Per Share
Cheap plastic from China and the US is threatening sustainable plastic companiesMEXICO CITY: Mexico’s president discussed migration and drug trafficking with US President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday — two issues he had raised as justification for raising import tariffs on America’s southern neighbor. Claudia Sheinbaum said she had had “an excellent conversation” with Trump, just hours after her economy minister warned that the cost to US companies of Trump’s tariffs would be “huge.” “We discussed Mexico’s strategy regarding the phenomenon of migration,” Sheinbaum said on X, adding she had told Trump that caravans of migrants “are not arriving at the northern border because they are being attended to in Mexico.” Earlier on Wednesday, Sheinbaum said Mexico would retaliate if US President-elect Donald Trump followed through with his proposed 25 percent across-the-board tariff, a move her government warned could kill 400,000 US jobs and drive up prices for US consumers. “If there are US tariffs, Mexico would also raise tariffs,” Sheinbaum said during a press conference, in her clearest statement yet that the country was preparing possible retaliatory trade measures against its top trade partner. Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard, speaking alongside Sheinbaum, called for more regional cooperation and integration instead of a war of retaliatory import taxes. “It’s a shot in the foot,” Ebrard said of Trump’s proposed tariffs, which appear to violate the USMCA trade deal between Mexico, Canada and the US. In her talks with Trump later, she said they discussed “strengthening collaboration on security issues” as well as “the campaign we are conducting in the country to prevent the consumption of fentanyl.” Trump on Monday said he would impose tariffs of 25 percent on Mexican and Canadian imports and 10 percent on goods from China. “This Tariff will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social page. The Republican, who won an election in which illegal migration was a top issue, has vowed to declare a national emergency on border security and use the US military to carry out a mass deportation of undocumented migrants. Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said Wednesday some “400,000 jobs will be lost” in the United States if Trump followed through on his threat. He cited a study based on figures from US carmakers that manufacture in Mexico. Ebrard said the tariffs would also hit US consumers hard, citing the US market for pickup trucks — most of which are manufactured in Mexico. The tariffs, the minister said, would add $3,000 to the cost of a new vehicle. “The impact of this measure will chiefly be felt by consumers in the United States... That is why we say that it would be a shot in the foot,” Ebrard told reporters, speaking alongside Sheinbaum at her regular morning conference. The proposed tariffs would hit the automotive sector’s top cross-border exporters especially hard, Ebrard added, namely Ford, General Motors and Stellantis. Ebrard noted that 88 percent of pickup trucks sold in the US are made in Mexico and would see a price increase. These vehicles are popular in rural areas that overwhelmingly voted for Trump. Mexico and China have been particularly vociferous in their opposition to Trump’s threats of a trade war from day one of his second presidential term, which begins on January 20. Sheinbaum has declared the threats “unacceptable” and pointed out that Mexico’s drug cartels exist mainly to serve drug use in the United States. China has warned that “no one will win a trade war.” During his first term as president, Trump launched full-blown trade hostilities with Beijing, imposing significant tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of Chinese goods. China responded with retaliatory tariffs on American products, particularly affecting US farmers. The United States, Mexico and Canada are tied to a three-decade-old largely duty-free trade agreement, called the USMCA, that was renegotiated under Trump after he complained that US businesses, especially automakers, were losing out. Many analysts regard Trump’s tariff threats as more of a negotiating tactic than trade policy. “The lack of a clear link between this threat and questions related to trade suggests the new president plans to use tariffs as a negotiating strategy to achieve goals largely unrelated to trade,” said David Kohl, chief economist at Julius Baer. Mexico’s automotive industry is the country’s most important manufacturing sector, exporting predominantly to the United States. It represents nearly 25 percent of all North American vehicle production. Analysts at Barclays said they estimate the proposed tariffs “could wipe out effectively all profits” from the Detroit Three automakers. “While it’s generally understood that a blanket 25 percent tariff on any vehicles or content from Mexico or Canada could be disruptive, investors under-appreciate how disruptive this could be,” they wrote in a note on Tuesday. Brian Hughes, a spokesperson for Trump’s transition team, said the tariffs would protect US manufacturers and workers from “unfair practices of foreign companies and foreign markets.” Hughes said Trump would implement policies to make life affordable and more prosperous for his country. GM and Stellantis declined to comment. Ford did not comment on how the threatened tariffs would affect its business but said it manufactures more vehicles in the United States than most major automakers. Mexico’s automotive industry group AMIA said it would prepare for any possibility and wait to see what formal actions are taken. The Institute of International Finance, a trade group for the global financial services industry, warned Mexico-US relations would be challenging going forward. “The imposition of tariffs, eventually leading to increased protectionism, and other policies affecting exchange rates and commodity prices could have significant implications for the region,” it said in a note. The USMCA is up for review in 2026. Katia Goya, director of international economics at Grupo Financiero Banorte, said it was likely the three USMCA countries would seek wholesale renegotiation of the pact rather than just rubber-stamp it to continue in its current form. “The effect of a trade-conflict situation is that it will mean lower economic growth in the United States, higher unemployment and higher inflation,” Goya said. Ebrard said USMCA trade amounted to $1.78 trillion in the first nine months of this year. “We can fragment and divide with tariffs,” Ebrard said. “Mexico does not want conflicts and divisions, but to build a stronger region.”
NoneBig A exposure will help homeless pets in Orange CountySignificant Milestones in Life and Career of Jimmy Carter
The story begins with a resolute woman’s quest to find her missing husband in China, leading her on a profound journey of truth, love, and perseverance as she faces the oppressive forces that shatter her family. The narrative takes viewers on a challenging journey in pursuit of truth and justice. Set in Toronto, the story transcends time and geography, weaving together multiple perspectives and interlaced timelines. Through its narrative, the film immerses the audience in the characters’ memories and realities, highlighting their struggles against the backdrop of both Canadian and Chinese settings. Delving deep into the lives of ordinary individuals and their families persecuted for their beliefs or speech, the film offers a moving and thought-provoking examination of their hardships. With its powerful social significance and emotional depth, “Where Are You” aims to resonate with audiences and inspire greater awareness and support for those fighting for freedom and human dignity. Yang said that this is more than just a story of searching for loved ones—it is a call for freedom and human dignity. The film seeks to shed light on voices often ignored, highlighting how standing up for truth and humanity is treated as a criminal act. Yang is known for “Claws of the Red Dragon” (2019), “Coming for You” (2019), “Eternal Fifty Minutes” (Coming for You 2) (2020), and “Once We Were Divine” (2023). His “Claws of the Red Dragon” was nominated for Best TV Movie at the 2020 Canadian Screen Awards. That film, also inspired by true events, delves into the arrest of “mega hi-tech Chinese heiress” and CFO Meng Wanzhou in Canada, which sparked a political firestorm involving the United States, China, and Canada.Another day, another fucked up to send me into an overthinking spiral. This time it is ‘The Great Indian Shift’. Supposedly, we have finally come to a time where Indians and other people of colour are being recognised for their beauty. , I call bullshit. What is The Great Shift trend on TikTok? Hundreds of videos under the hashtag “The Great Shift” or “The Great Indian Shift” are popping up on TikTok professing their newfound appreciation for Indian women, often emphasising their physical attractiveness. Interestingly, this trend didn’t start with us. “The Great Shift” first emerged within the Black community, where Black women were being celebrated for their beauty and desirability. Now, it seems that Indian women are the second group to be swept into this wave of newfound admiration. While it might seem like a positive shift, it raises some serious questions about why this recognition is happening now and what it signifies. Isn’t being perceived as hot a good thing? I mean yes, it is great to be recognised as the hotties that we are. I remember the sense of relief I felt when , played by . Seeing her celebrated in fan edits as gorgeous was a moment of joy for many of us. It was proof that we could be seen as beautiful in mainstream narratives. But why do we need proof to believe in our own beauty? This constant worry about how we are perceived by the white gaze is draining. I don’t think I know a single Indian woman in their 20s that hasn’t had a blonde moment, highlights or tried on coloured contacts to try and fit in. To try to become attractive to a group of people that have consistently reminded us that we are not beautiful, that we are not enough. This trend comes at an interesting time in the world — especially as we step back into ’s America. The political climate has shifted dramatically, with rising anti-immigrant sentiments and renewed discussions around race and identity. Just this year a trend was going around deeming Indians the “least dateable” race. So sure this trend feels nice now, but we can’t afford to be swept away by it. We must guard ourselves because unfortunately, the white man can clearly rip away our flowers as quickly as they gave them to us. The echoes of past political movements remind us that recognition can be fleeting and conditional. Not to mention the fetishisation of it all. This trend follows a troubling pattern where different racial groups become . Previously, Black women were at the centre of such trends; now it’s our turn... who’s next? As TikToker pointed out regarding current attitudes toward race: “Racism runs deep... but to then be fetishised and also treated like a commodity” speaks volumes about how quickly admiration can turn into objectification. If an entire race can be turned into a trend, they do not see us as humans, they see us as something to play with — a shiny new toy they can easily toss aside when they’re moving onto the next race. As TikToker put it, “I reject this . We simply cannot be made into a trend one more time. I saw a non-Indian guy on here say, ‘boys, we need to invest now.’ Getting treated like an object is one thing. Getting treated like cryptocurrency... the fetishising epidemic has hit the Indian community.” Personally, the concept of having someone buy a brown woman does not sit well with me at all. We are the fastest-growing ethnic group in the world, rich with culture and history. Yet here we are, still seeking approval from those who have historically marginalised us. A tainted shift Ultimately, this recognition feels tainted because it underscores our ongoing struggle for validation from those who have historically overlooked us. We shouldn’t have to rely on Western accolades or social media trends to validate our worth or beauty. I want to celebrate our wins without feeling like they’re only wins because someone else deems them worthy. It’s exhausting to navigate this constant pressure to conform to Western beauty standards while simultaneously trying to embrace our own identities. So here’s my plea: let’s reject this form of validation together. ; it doesn’t require from anyone — especially not from those who have historically marginalised us. We need to recognize that we are beautiful in our own right without needing someone else to tell us so. As Muskan said, “If you missed out on appreciating beautiful brown women, that’s on you.” If you’re still not with me, fine. But when this trend ends, which it will seeing that trends are quite literally something of the time, use this moment as a jumping off point to acknowledge your beauty. We deserve more than being part of someone else’s fleeting fascination; we deserve to be seen and appreciated for who we truly are — beautiful, complex individuals with stories that go far beyond any trend. In these times where appreciation can quickly turn into objectification or erasure, if you still think it’s a compliment to comment “the great shift” on a video of an Indian baddie, kindly fuck right off, please and thank you.
The New York Rangers and goalie Igor Shesterkin have agreed to a record-setting eight-year, $11.5 million average-annual-value contract, a league source confirmed to The Athletic on Friday, the largest deal for a goalie in NHL history. The deal comes on the heels of New York trading captain Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks earlier in the day, which cleared $8 million of cap space off the books for 2025-26, the year Shesterkin’s extension sets in. Advertisement Drafted in the fourth round in 2014, Shesterkin debuted in 2019-20 and emerged as one of the league’s top goaltenders in 2021-22. He won the Vezina Trophy that season with a .935 save percentage and a 36-13-4 record and finished third in Hart Trophy voting. Though his regular-season numbers have not reached the same heights since, he’s further established himself as one of the world’s best, especially when the games matter most. He has a .928 career save percentage in 44 playoff games and has helped New York to a pair of Eastern Conference finals. Carey Price had the previous highest average annual value for goalies ($10.5 million). This deal also puts Shesterkin in a similar salary range to Artemi Panarin , the highest-paid player on the Rangers. Panarin has a $11,642,857 cap hit. Shesterkin has an 8-9-1 record with a .908 save percentage to start the season. He’s below his career save percentage of .920 but has not been helped by a porous Rangers defense. He ranks seventh in the NHL with 9.83 goals saved above expected, per Evolving-Hockey . Questions about Shesterkin’s next deal can now be put to rest, and the Rangers front office can look ahead to other looming decisions, including how to upgrade their 2024-25 roster after clearing cap space with the Trouba trade. (Photo: Danny Wild / USA Today)
iClick Interactive Asia Group Limited Reports 2024 Half-Year Unaudited Financial Results( MENAFN - GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq) BOSTON, Dec. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The more-than-likeness of Google's Willow chip and AI-119 Gen AI patent technology have led to the development of AI legal Mate, an AI Law research organization that aims to provide free legal assistance to disabled Veterans, LBGTQIA+ youth, and foreign nationals in legal actions, usually in situations where they cannot afford the cost of a bail bond or an attorney to help them out during their very unfortunate situation they've caught themselves up in. WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT AI LEGAL MATE As previously reported , AI Legal Mate has filed its Gen AI 'Law and Health' technology utility patent updates, utilizing Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and quantum computing. QM-Ware is designed exclusively for remote and physical users, and will continue to be under (nonpartisan) exploration delegations with organizations like the Veterans Recovery Network , The Gaygency , Fugees Lives Matte PAC , The Trump S.A.F.E. Act - Department of Government Efficiency 2025, SMART Recovery Network , and Harvard I-Labs. The AI Legal Mate launched a project to assist disabled Harvard students in civil rights actions concerning overly 'X'd up Harvard degrees, and military veterans at the Veterans Recovery Network seeking settlement claims through the PACT Act Relief programs. With quantum computing, AI Legal Mate works as an ultimate API conduit between a pro-bono law client and live attorneys and AI Law technicians to handle batches of similarly situated claimants within a shorter time than a well-staffed civil rights organization with a dozen or more attorneys. AI PATENT TECH NEWS AI119 Tech's propel development team has filed a second utility patent update application for their 'third generation' AI Law and Health technology, designed similar to military ISACs established in the late-90s. This technology uses quantum computer technology under Grover's algorithms for quantum-error corrections in human-driven transactions. The newer version of AI119's technology is capable of resolving tens of thousands of administrative complaint cases within a few days by integrating live attorneys with AI Law resources and SOC-2 applications to certify legal documents. AI Legal Mate's next generation plan is to complete its fifth-generation technology with innovative lab affiliates, including their "QM-ware" approach, which aims to integrate AI with assistive technology like earbuds, eye-ware, wrist-ware, head-ware, and body-ware to enable adaptive learning at 'meta-speed.' This will empower users to receive treatment or training for mental health disabilities or professional skills through peer-to-peer transmission of Generative AI at meta-speeds. For more information about AI Legal Mate or AI119 Gen AI Law technology, visit . A photo accompanying this announcement is available at A video accompanying this announcement is available at MENAFN29122024004107003653ID1109039925 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.“We can choose to alleviate suffering. We can choose to work together for peace. We can make these changes — and we must.” Jimmy Carter, at his 2002 Nobel Peace Prize lecture Former President Jimmy Carter, a man who redefined what a post-presidency could be, died Sunday. Dec. 29. He was 100. Carter, who lived longer than any other U.S. president, entered home hospice care in Plains, Georgia, in February 2023 after a series of short hospital stays. Carter had the longest post-presidency of anyone to hold the office, and one of the most active. After a one-term presidency, which ended with low approval ratings, Carter emerged as a champion of human rights and worked for several charitable causes. Carter founded the Carter Presidential Center at Emory University in Atlanta. The center, which began in 1982, is devoted to issues relating to democracy and human rights. The only Georgian ever elected to the White House, Carter left office after a single term that was highlighted by forging peace between Israel and Egypt, but was overshadowed by the Iran hostage crisis. In the decades after, his reputation grew through his and wife Rosalynn Carter’s work at the Carter Center in Atlanta and his philanthropic causes such as Habitat for Humanity. “People will be celebrating Jimmy Carter for hundreds of years. His reputation is only going to grow,” Rice University history professor Douglas Brinkley wrote in his book “The Unfinished Presidency of Jimmy Carter.” In 1986, The Carter Center began leading an international campaign to eradicate Guinea worm disease. The disease may soon become the second human disease in history, after smallpox, to be eradicated. Since 1984, Carter worked with Habitat for Humanity International, an organization that works worldwide to provide housing for underprivileged people. WASHINGTON – APRIL 27: (FILE PHOTO) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter walks past a Naval Honor Guard during a dedication ceremony for a nuclear submarine bearing his name at the Pentagon April 27, 1998 in Washington, DC. Carter served in the U.S. Navy prior to his political career. The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced October 11, 2002 that Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2002. (Photo by Robert Giroux/Getty Images) LAGRANGE, GA – JUNE 10: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalyn attach siding to the front of a Habitat for Humanity home being built June 10, 2003 in LaGrange, Georgia. More than 90 homes are being built in LaGrange; Valdosta, Georgia; and Anniston, Alabama by volunteers as part of Habitat for Humanity International’s Jimmy Carter Work Project 2003. (Photo by Erik S. Lesser/Getty Images) OSLO, NORWAY – DECEMBER 10: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter holds up his Nobel Peace Prize December 10, 2002 in Oslo, Norway. Carter was recognized for many years of public service and urged others to work for peace during his acceptance speech. (Photo by Arne Knudsen/Getty Images) WASHIGTON – NOVEMBER 18: U.S. President George W. Bush (R) stands with former U.S. President Jimmy Carter (L), winner of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, with H. Robert Horvitz, recipient of the 2002 Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine, looking on during a reception for 2002 U.S. Nobel laureates in the White House Oval Office November 18, 2002 in Washington, DC. The official awards ceremony will be held later this year in Stockholm, Sweden. (Photo by Robert Trippett/Getty Images) VIOLET, LA – MAY 21: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter works on the 1,000th home to be built by Habitat for Humanity on the Gulf Coast May 21, 2007 in Violet, Louisiana. Carter made waves May 19 when he said that the Bush administration “has been the worst in history”, in an interview published in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) Former US president Jimmy Carter (C) and his wife Rosalynn (R) inspect some of the 32 houses being built for poor families under the Habitat for Humanity campaign at Dong Xa village, in the northern province of Hai Duong on November 18, 2009. The volunteers for Habitat for Humanity will build or repair 166 homes in Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam on the November 15-20 tour, the Atlanta-based Christian group said. AFP PHOTO/HOANG DINH Nam (Photo credit should read HOANG DINH NAM/AFP via Getty Images) PLAINS, GA – OCTOBER 11: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter greets the crowd after a news conference at The Carter Center October 11, 2002 in Plains, Georgia. Carter was awarded the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize October 11, 2002 for his efforts to promote human rights and peace mediation efforts, with the Norwegian Nobel Committee adding that his “decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter was noted for the 1978 Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt. (Photo by Ken Krakow/Getty Images) NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 12, 2000: (FILE PHOTO) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter walks outside of a Habitat for Humanity home September 12, 2000 in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. Carter was awarded the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize October 11, 2002 for his efforts to promote human rights and peace mediation efforts, with the Norwegian Nobel Committee adding that his “decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter was noted for the 1978 Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) NEW YORK – OCTOBER 8: (FILE PHOTO) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter leaves a news conference where he and Raymond V. Gilmartin, President and CEO of Merck and Co., presented a model for global health care October 8, 2002 in New York City. Carter was awarded the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize October 11, 2002 for his efforts to promote human rights and peace mediation efforts, with the Norwegian Nobel Committee adding that his “decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter was noted for the 1978 Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) CHICAGO, IL – APRIL 23: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter answers a question during a panel discussion at the University of Illinois at Chicago as part of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates on April 23, 2012 in Chicago, Illinois. The 12th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates convenes in Chicago today and runs through Wednesday, April 25. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Former US President and Nobel Prize for Peace winner Jimmy Carter takes part in the building of houses for “Habitat for Humanity International” ONG 25 October, 2004 in Puebla, 110 km west of Mexico City. US President George W. Bush “has been adroit” at exploiting the suffering caused by the September 11 attacks, his predecessor Jimmy Carter said in an interview with the Guardian published Monday. AFP PHOTO/Ronaldo SCHEMIDT (Photo by Ronaldo SCHEMIDT / AFP) (Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via Getty Images) WASHINGTON – OCTOBER 04: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter (R) speaks as Habitat for Humanity International CEO Jonathan Reckford (L) looks on during a news conference for the kick-off of an all-week construction project to mark the World Habitat Day and the annual Habitat for Humanity Carter Work Project October 4, 2010 in the Ivy City neighborhood of Washington, DC. Carter was recently released from an Ohio hospital after being treated for a viral infection. Under the project a total of 86 homes will be built, rehabilitated or repaired in Washington, D.C.; Baltimore and Annapolis, Maryland; Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota; and Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) WASHINGTON – APRIL 27: (FILE PHOTO) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter walks past a Naval Honor Guard during a dedication ceremony for a nuclear submarine bearing his name at the Pentagon April 27, 1998 in Washington, DC. Carter served in the U.S. Navy prior to his political career. The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced October 11, 2002 that Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2002. (Photo by Robert Giroux/Getty Images) James Earl Carter Jr. was born in Plains on Oct. 1, 1924, the first of four children of Earl Carter, a farmer and businessman, and Lillian Gordy Carter, a registered nurse. Related: Jimmy Carter turns 99 with family around him He gained an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduated and joined the Navy submarine branch where in seven years he worked his way into “Rickover’s boys,” the elite nascent unit of America’s nuclear submarine fleet championed by the iconic Admiral Hyman Rickover. Carter was on his way up until a death at home changed his destiny. His father Earl, a farmer, businessman and cornerstone personality in the Plains community, died from cancer. Carter left the Navy and its far-from-Plains postings such as Hawaii, and he, Rosalynn and their growing family returned to Georgia in 1953 to take over the family farming business. It was there he first ran for school board, then state senator. He was elected governor in 1970. Carter served one successful term before launching an improbable bid to become president, winning the Democratic nomination and then defeating Republican President Gerald Ford in November 1976. On his inauguration day, rather than driving past the crowds in an armored limousine, Jimmy and Rosalynn emerged from the car with daughter Amy at their side and walked down Pennsylvania Avenue, holding hands and waving. Carter’s successes included promoting human rights, adding to the national park and preserve system, reestablishing governmental credibility after the Watergate Crisis, and the Camp David Accords, which forged a peace agreement between Egypt and Israel. They were overshadowed by trouble at home and abroad. At home, Carter and his advisers, most of them Washington outsiders, met resistance from his own party. Then, in November 1979, Iranian militants stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took hostages. He tried negotiation, then launched a bold rescue mission that never reached its target because of helicopter failure. He could not resolve the situation until the last day of his administration. At home, a foundering economy exacerbated by oil embargoes from Mideast countries and the rise of the Republican Party under Ronald Reagan helped lead to his defeat in November 1980. Carter returned to tiny Plains and used the power of an ex-president’s bully pulpit as the springboard to his last, and, some say, his best act. Carter began volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, a fairly new Americus-based organization, building houses for the poor. Then, together with Rosalynn, he founded the Atlanta-based Carter Center, which focused on making peace and spreading health and democracy around the world. It will carry the couple’s humanitarian and democratic work forward. From his work as president and as the leader of the Carter Center, he won the Nobel Prize, the United National Human Rights Prize and many other notable awards from countries, organizations and world leaders. The Carters both were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton. ”Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter,” Clinton said, “have done more good things for more people in more places than any other couple on the face of the Earth.” Rosalynn Carter, Jimmy Carter’s wife of 77 years, died in November 2023 . They are survived by their children Amy, Chip, Jack and Jeff; 11 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren. Sources: Cartercenter.org, Plains Historical Preservation Trust, The Associated Press; The Brookings Institution; U.S. Navy; WhiteHouse.gov, Gallup
By David Jolly This is an adapted excerpt from the Nov. 21 episode of “The ReidOut.” On Thursday, President-elect Donald Trump ’s pick for attorney general, Matt Gaetz, announced he was withdrawing his name from consideration . “[I]t is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz wrote on X. But let’s be clear, Gaetz didn’t drop out because he was a “distraction”; he dropped out because the votes weren’t there . The incoming administration couldn’t convince enough Republican senators to back Gaetz. This abrupt withdrawal is a hugely embarrassing moment for Trump. The president-elect thought he had a mandate to nominate whomever he wanted and push them through, no matter what skeletons were in their closet. This is Trump’s first big failure since winning a second term, and it should be seen as such. It’s also a failure of Vice President-elect JD Vance, who personally lobbied his Republican colleagues in the Senate on behalf of Gaetz. Clearly, he failed to convince enough of them to come around. The president-elect thought he had a mandate to nominate whomever he wanted and push them through, no matter what skeletons were in their closet. Within hours of Gaetz’s withdrawal, Trump named longtime ally and former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as his new pick to lead the Justice Department. Bondi started as a relatively Jeb Bush-type Republican. As Florida’s attorney general, she pursued the opioid crisis and led an unsuccessful challenge to the Affordable Care Act — bread-and-butter Republican issues. She’s not somebody with a penchant for pursuing enemies like Gaetz, so it would be interesting to see if she pushes back against Trump. In 2017, Bondi was rumored to be in the running for a nomination as part of Trump’s first Cabinet but, at the time, they were not certain she would get confirmed because of a controversy surrounding a donation Trump made to her campaign in 2013 shortly before she declined to join a lawsuit against the now-defunct Trump University. Overall, I would say Bondi brings the basic qualifications that Gaetz did not. She certainly could be the administrator of the Justice Department. But, over the next few weeks, we’ll see how the politics, including that 2013 donation, play out. Allison Detzel contributed. David Jolly, an MSNBC political contributor, represented Florida's 13th Congressional District as a Republican in the House from 2014 to 2017. He is the chairman of the Serve America Movement. Jolly left the Republican Party in 2018.Horry-Georgetown Technical College is facing a lawsuit from a student it suspended over social media posts in a case highlighting the balance of free speech and school safety. Local news has never been this personal. Free to download. Subscribers enjoy unlimited access. HGTC suspended Leigha Lemoine in September for a year from its cosmetology program and issued her a no-trespass notice after an internal investigation determined she violated student code by “engaging in any activity that disrupts the educational process of the college,” court records show. The investigation stemmed from Lemoine posting in a Snapchat group chat that a person who disrespected her needed to “get blasted.” The person she was referring to was not associated with HGTC, but her classmates were included in the group chat and at least one reported concerns about the comment to administrators, according to court records. The school initially ruled that the comment was acceptable after speaking with Lemoine about it, but administration decided to suspend her after finding an unrelated Instagram post from before she was enrolled where she was firing a handgun. Lemoine alleges in her lawsuit that the suspension is retaliation for her expression of free speech protected by the First Amendment, and the school’s code of conduct is unconstitutionally vague. Nicole Hyman, a spokeswoman for HGTC, wrote in a statement that the college seeks to maintain a safe environment for all of its students, employees and visitors. “This suit seeks to challenge the manner in which the College has done this,” she wrote. “While the College respects all individuals’ rights, including their rights to freedom of expression, the College’s priority is to ensure the well-being and security of the entire campus community.” Despite the apparent safety concerns, it’s not clear whether or not HGTC ever contacted law enforcement about Lemoine’s posts. The lawsuit doesn’t mention any police involvement, and Hyman did not confirm any law enforcement contact before publication. Lemoine, who was receiving financial aid assistance and expected to graduate during Summer 2025, is seeking a court order to immediately lift the suspension and no-trespass order so that she can complete her current courses. When HGTC initially interviewed Lemoine about the Snapchat comment, she denied that it referred to physically harming anyone, court records show. The complaint notes one definition of “blast” is to destroy or discredit someone’s reputation, as in “to put on blast.” Lemoine also told administrators during that initial meeting that neither she nor her parents owned any guns or had any personal association with firearms, court records state. But college officials later discovered an Instagram video from Nov. 2023 of Lemoine firing a handgun. “In today’s climate, your failure to disclose the existence of the video, in conjunction with group text message on Snapchat where you used the term ‘blasted,’ causes concern about your ability to remain in the current Cosmetology cohort,” the college wrote in a letter to Lemoine explaining the suspension. Lemoine told administrators that the video involved her doing target practice shooting a friend’s handgun at her friend’s private residence in North Carolina. She deleted the video and offered to allow college officials to search her belongings, but they declined, the complaint states. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Cha Joo Young transforms into a powerful queen in upcoming drama The Queen Who CrownsTop 5 Positives Sniper Patrik Laine Provides The Canadiens