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The Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple will reopen on Monday for this year's makaravilakku festival , the temple authorities said. The temple will be opened at 4 pm by Melshanthi S Arun Kumar Namboothiri , in the presence of the head priest, Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru . ET Year-end Special Reads What kept India's stock market investors on toes in 2024? India's car race: How far EVs went in 2024 Investing in 2025: Six wealth management trends to watch out for Pilgrims can ascend the sacred 18 steps for darshan after the Melshanthi performs the ceremonial lighting of the fire at the fireplace (aazhi) in the sanctum. The temple was earlier closed on December 26 at 10 pm following the mandala puja , accompanied by the recitation of Harivarasanam. Thousands witnessed the mandala puja, marking the culmination of the 41-day-long first leg of the annual pilgrimage season . (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )None
Kaligis can certainly use all the support he can get, especially an embrace and some encouraging words from the opposing coach. No. 22 Syracuse (9-3, No. 21 CFP), led by national passing leader Kyle McCord, is a 17-point favorite according to BetMGM in Friday night's Holiday Bowl against the depleted Cougars (8-4), whose season has nosedived since mid-November. After beating future Pac-12 opponent San Diego State 29-26 on Oct. 26 at Snapdragon Stadium, coach Jake Dickert, quarterback John Mateer and the rest of the Cougars were 7-1 and about to jump into The Associated Press Top 25. Now the Cougars are barely recognizable as they return to Snapdragon. Dickert was hired away by Wake Forest, Mateer transferred to Oklahoma and running back Wayshawn Parker left for Utah. Numerous coaches, including the offensive and defensive coordinators, are gone, and more than 20 players have entered the transfer portal. The Cougars, who lost their last three games, are a prime example of how college football's rapidly changing landscape can dramatically affect a program. “Going into the ins-and-outs of the game tomorrow doesn’t matter,” Kaligis said. “We are who we are, we have what we have. I know that’s for both of us.” Kaligis said players who entered the portal after Dickert left can suit up Friday night. “I know we came here with 98 guys. That's who we’re going to show up on the field with.” The state of the game Kaligis said relationships between players and coaches are more important than ever, even if there's less time to develop trust “and coach them the right way.” “When a staff (member) leaves and guys get in the portal, it’s because of the relationships they have garnered with their position coaches. When that position coach isn’t guaranteed he’s going to be there, that’s who that young man trusts,” Kaligis said. “I’ve been doing this for a long time," he added. "What’s been hard for me, I spent 13 years at Wyoming, I saw three graduating classes. I remember I was the longest-tenured coach there. To see them all the way through. When I came to Wazzu, I was their fourth D-line coach." Wazzu's slump The Cougs improved to 8-1 by beating Utah State 49-28 on Nov. 9 but then lost three straight, including to Oregon State in the de facto championship game between the two teams left in the Pac-12. They also lost to New Mexico and Wyoming, two of the Mountain West teams that weren't invited to join the reconstituted Pac-12 starting in 2026. Airing it out McCord, who transferred from Ohio State, rewrote the Orange's record book this season with 4,326 yards passing, 29 touchdowns and 367 completions. He's well within range of breaking Deshaun Watson's ACC single-season record of 4,593, which he set in 15 games in 2016. Orange goals A win will give Syracuse 10 wins for the first time since 2018 and just the third time since 2000. Brown can become the second Syracuse coach since World War II to record 10 wins in his first season, joining Paul Pasqualoni, who did it in 1991. In their final regular-season game, the Orange rallied from a 21-0 deficit for a 42-38 win against then-No. 6 Miami that knocked the Hurricanes out of ACC title contention and ended their College Football Playoff hopes. McCord threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns. “We want to go out and have a good game,” Brown said. “We have an opportunity of winning 10 games, which means you’re starting to become a successful program, right? Our players haven’t had a chance of winning a bowl game. So there’s a lot of things that are on the line for us to really be able to build our program and being able to move forward.” Series history This will be the teams' second meeting. Syracuse beat Washington State 52-25 in 1979.If you're planning to join Bluesky , you're in good company: The platform has 20 million users as of Tuesday . It continues to rake in a million new users every day, as a big wave of users leave competitor site X, formerly Twitter, following the US presidential election. While the Bluesky platform has seen its fair share of growing pains since it launched in the fall of 2021 and is still missing features you can find on other social networks, it's becoming one of the closest things to the Twitter 1.0 that many people loved. It's increasingly the place where those looking for an alternative to X -- owned by Elon Musk -- are going. But even with Bluesky's growing popularity, performing the switch and ditch isn't easy, especially if you'd spent a long time on Twitter creating a hefty list of accounts you followed. However, there's a browser extension that should soften the blow to find your old friends. Sky Follower Bridge by developer Kawamata Ryo is available in the Chrome Web Store for free, providing a fairly easy way to find your friends from X that have also made the move to Bluesky. Below, we'll show you how to set it up. For more, how to lock down your X posts now that the block function has been changed. How to set up the Sky Follower Bridge extension To set up Sky Follower Bridge, you'll first need to be using the Chrome browser or another Chromium-based browser that supports Chrome extensions. We'll treat this setup as if you have Google's Chrome browser. To get started, download Sky Follower Bridge . Pin the extension to the browser toolbar for easy access later. Create an app password for Sky Follower Bridge After you've installed the extension, you can now create an app password for it. This is a more secure way of handling third-party extensions such as Sky Follower Bridge, and it protects you from having to share your Bluesky account's password with the extension. Here's how to do it. You'll be presented with a password that you should only use for extension. Copy it. Continue the Sky Follower Bridge setup With your app password in tow, it's time to find the people you were following on X. From here, the extension will begin scanning your Following list, and accounts with matching usernames will begin to appear in a list, allowing you to follow the account on Bluesky from there. If you're coming up short, the extension allows you to search specifically for matching handle name, display name and handle name in the profile description -- all of which are enabled by default. If you still can't find an account you're looking for, they may have used a different handle on Bluesky, and the extension won't be much help if that's the case. Also bear in mind that even an identical user name may not be the same person on both sites -- the extension is effectively just guessing that's the case. For more, here's how to delete your X account .HSE denies holding on to land during housing crisis
UCF’s postseason hopes end with loss at West VirginiaJon Coupal: New laws coming in the new year Californians need to know about
We need role models for young men, people who show up consistently, who care and act before someone mentally deteriorates, Elon University's Greg Hlavaty writes in a guest column.
AP Business SummaryBrief at 6:26 p.m. ESTPanama president rules out talks with Trump over canal threatA WALMART Christmas tree is back in stores for the holiday season. The mega-retailer offers a variety of artificial trees for Christmas, but one viral favorite is in stock. A design influencer, Simply Staged and Styled shared their Walmart find on Facebook . O CHRISTMAS TREE... The fake tree is sold under the brand name “ My Texas House .” It has a relatively sparse design that sets it apart from many other fake trees, which typically look very full and dense. Simply Staged and Styled said the "viral" tree was “back and better than ever.” Read More about Walmart “This year [it] comes with twinkle lights. It’s so pretty!” the account said. They said the sparse design is more realistic, and warned that they may sell out quick. “I would hurry!” they said. THE DESIGN The tree comes in various sizes. Most read in Money A 4-foot mini tree goes for $59 on Walmart’s website. The larger version is 7.5 feet. That one sells for $179. However, the influencer said there is also a 9 foot option, though it does not currently appear on Walmart’s website. It’s not clear the price of that largest size. The influencer said they would send links to anyone who commented “Christmas Tree” on their post. This engagement strategy seemed to work — dozens of Facebook users commented with the key phrase. MORE WALMART Walmart offers a variety of deals on its products, partly because of the scale of the business. For example, the store recently offered a sale on a usually pricey cologne. But those looking for discounts in the near future must plan their shopping carefully. Walmart will be closed on Thursday for Thanksgiving. Read More on The US Sun The chain started shutting its doors for turkey day a few years back, but the decision has not been without controversy . Some competitors are planning to stay open for the holiday.ERLANGER, Ky. — Even though his father may be faithful to the Cincinnati Bengals, 11-year-old Levi Still is a lifelong Denver Broncos fan. His parents told WCPO that he has three jerseys: Von Miller, then Justin Simmons, and now Patrick Surtain II. "He's been a fan since he was five years old," said Levi's mother Stacey Ewing. Levi said his fandom started after his parents returned from their honeymoon, and brought him a special Denver Broncos football. From then on, he was hooked to Broncos Country. Levi was given a Pat Surtain jersey for Christmas, and his family got tickets to the Bengals vs. Broncos in Cincinnati on December 28th. As the fans arrived, Levi and his family went down to the railing, to get closer to the players as they warmed up. But what happened next, was a dream come true. "All of a sudden, we see Pat Surtain walking to us. We just freaked out and he ended up handing him the football," said Ewing. Levi saw Surtain perform on the biggest stage, even seeing the Pro Bowler recover a Tee Higgins fumble in the fourth quarter. Even though the Broncos fell to the Bengals in overtime , the surprise gift made the night extra special for Levi, until he and his family began to leave the stadium. "We got stopped by security, three gentlemen, who were just doing their job. They had told us the football is property of the NFL and it can’t leave the stadium," said Ewing. Ewing and her son told WCPO the ball was taken away and the family left the stadium. But Ewing said she had to see if something could be done. "The only thing I knew to do was go to social media and try to get my boy's ball back," she said. Ewing's post received dozens of shares on Facebook, as people hoped that Levi could get his football back. Ewing told WCPO that on Sunday morning, one of the security guards reached out, telling her that he went through all the steps to get Levi his ball back. "He instant messaged me and just said he, you know, the steps that he had taken to get it verified and to make sure he could have it, and then he reached out," Ewing said. Ewing's family packed up the car and headed back to Paycor Stadium and met with the staff. There, Levi was reunited with the special football. "I felt happy because I thought I was never going to get it back," Levi said. Ewing told WCPO she's grateful to the staff and security at Paycor Stadium for helping get the ball back to Levi. Watch Live:
NoneDonald Trump Jr’s friends worried about ‘social climbing’ new girlfriend: reportA WALMART Christmas tree is back in stores for the holiday season. The mega-retailer offers a variety of artificial trees for Christmas, but one viral favorite is in stock. A design influencer, Simply Staged and Styled shared their Walmart find on Facebook . O CHRISTMAS TREE... The fake tree is sold under the brand name “ My Texas House .” It has a relatively sparse design that sets it apart from many other fake trees, which typically look very full and dense. Simply Staged and Styled said the "viral" tree was “back and better than ever.” Read More about Walmart “This year [it] comes with twinkle lights. It’s so pretty!” the account said. They said the sparse design is more realistic, and warned that they may sell out quick. “I would hurry!” they said. THE DESIGN The tree comes in various sizes. Most read in Money A 4-foot mini tree goes for $59 on Walmart’s website. The larger version is 7.5 feet. That one sells for $179. However, the influencer said there is also a 9 foot option, though it does not currently appear on Walmart’s website. It’s not clear the price of that largest size. The influencer said they would send links to anyone who commented “Christmas Tree” on their post. This engagement strategy seemed to work — dozens of Facebook users commented with the key phrase. MORE WALMART Walmart offers a variety of deals on its products, partly because of the scale of the business. For example, the store recently offered a sale on a usually pricey cologne. But those looking for discounts in the near future must plan their shopping carefully. Walmart will be closed on Thursday for Thanksgiving. Read More on The US Sun The chain started shutting its doors for turkey day a few years back, but the decision has not been without controversy . Some competitors are planning to stay open for the holiday.
Alpha Blue Capital US Small Mid Cap Dynamic ETF (NASDAQ:ABCS) Short Interest Update
NoneResults : 288 / 288 Results : 81 / 81 Kangkan Kalita is a reporter with The Times of India and covers issues on health, education, stories of human interest while keeping a close watch on political developments and student movements. Reporting on environment and forest related issues and concerns of the northeast interest him equally. Read More 10 ways to use pumpkin seeds 7 things that boys learn from their moms 10 Indian breakfast dishes loved across the world How to grow onion and garlic on your kitchen window Kid-friendly wildlife experiences in India How to make Chicken Chili Pakora at home 10 types of South-Indian rice dishes and how to make them 10 most beautiful offbeat places for solo travel in India (2025) Persimmon: Nutrients, health benefits of this vibrant orange colored fruit 8 animals that have more than 2 eyes
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From Health-Empowering Practices to More Eco-Smart Products, Explore the Top Trends Shaping Wellness, Beauty, Home Essentials, and Cooking for the Year Ahead LAKEWOOD, Colo. , Dec. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Natural Grocers®, America's Nutrition Education Experts SM and the nation's largest family-operated organic and natural grocery retailer, has unveiled its highly anticipated Top Trends for 2025 . Now in its ninth year, the list highlights expert predictions on the emerging products and practices set to shape the year across four key categories: Health and Wellness , Body Care and Beauty , Food and Beverage , and those that are Ecologically Thoughtful . For the 2025 predictions, Natural Grocers' expert Nutrition Education team—including Registered Dietitians and Certified Natural Foods Chefs—joined forces with its purchasing, marketing, and analytics teams. This dynamic collaboration combined deep research, consumer insights, and trend analysis to craft a forecast that's as informed as it is exciting. "At Natural Grocers , we're always eager to see how evolving trends inspire healthier, more sustainable lifestyles," stated Raquel Isely , vice president of Marketing at Natural Grocers. "Each year we sift through evolving shopping habits and cutting-edge research to pinpoint the trends that will shape the way we live, eat, and care for ourselves in the year to come. "For 2025, we're seeing a focus on simple, yet thoughtful choices that prioritize wellness and the planet—like making blood sugar-friendly habits part of everyday life, exploring ocean-inspired body care, and embracing high-quality, globally-inspired proteins. These trends aren't just exciting—they're impactful, and some can make fabulous, practical holiday gifts! Whether it's a functional, natural skincare product geared towards men, a regenerative agriculture-friendly treat, or a product that helps kick forever chemicals out of the home, there's something meaningful for everyone on your list this season." NATURAL GROCERS' TOP TRENDS FOR 2025 Natural Grocers' Top Trends for 2025 are organized into four key categories: Health & Wellness , Body Care & Beauty , Food & Beverage , and Ecologically Thoughtful , encompassing a total of twelve trends. The expert team has included its "Try This Trend" feature, offering ideas and products for those eager to dive in and explore. For the third consecutive year, the company has also introduced a Bonus Trend—a unique highlight that connects and complements the entire lineup. The full list of trends is outlined below, with each category linked to detailed insights, product recommendations, and supporting research on the company's website. HEALTH & WELLNESS TRENDS BODY CARE & BEAUTY TRENDS FOOD & BEVERAGE TRENDS ECOLOGICALLY THOUGHTFUL TRENDS *BONUS TREND* Cultivating Biodiversity Becomes a Priority Natural Grocers will highlight these trends online and across their social media platforms throughout December. They will also be featured in the January edition of Natural Grocers' good4u Health Hotline® magazine, available in both online and print formats. ABOUT NATURAL GROCERS BY VITAMIN COTTAGE Founded in 1955, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE: NGVC) is an expanding specialty retailer of natural and organic groceries, body care products, and dietary supplements. The products sold by Natural Grocers must meet strict quality guidelines and may not contain artificial colors, flavors, preservatives or sweeteners, or partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated oils. The Company sells only USDA-certified organic produce and exclusively pasture-raised, non-confinement dairy products, and free-range eggs. Natural Grocers' flexible smaller-store format allows it to offer affordable prices in a shopper-friendly, clean, and convenient retail environment. The Company also provides extensive free science-based Nutrition Education programs to help customers and Crew make informed health and nutrition choices. Natural Grocers is committed to its 5 Founding Principles —including its "Commitment to Community" and "Commitment to Crew". In fiscal year 2024, the Company invested more than $15 million in incremental compensation and discretionary payments for Crew. Headquartered in the Union Square neighborhood of Lakewood, CO, Natural Grocers has 168 stores in 21 states. Visit www.naturalgrocers.com for more information and store locations. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/natural-grocers-unveils-2025s-must-know-trends-302320141.html SOURCE Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc.The closer a Prince Rupert woman looked at the deer in her yard, the stranger things became for her. “It was the first time I’ve seen anything like that; it was pretty bizarre,” said Joan Dudoward. Dudoward is a senior residing on 11th Avenue East in Prince Rupert. A flash of movement caught her eye as she scrubbed her breakfast plates on a typical Wednesday morning. Peeking out the window above her sink, she gasped— a majestic buck with massive antlers stood gracefully in her yard. “As soon as I noticed the huge buck, I ran and grabbed my camera to photograph it. I’ve been taking photos since I was a teenager...I photograph everything,” she said. She says he cozied up to lie on the grass and stayed for about half an hour. “He was wiggling his ears so I zoomed in and noticed a tag clipped on him,” she said. “I thought, why is this dear clipped? I got very concerned.” Dudoward, driven by her curiosity, noted that one side of the clip was labelled “BC WILDLIFE 06-529,” while the other read “CALL RAP: 877-952-7227.” It was suspicious because the number displayed is very similar but different from the official number of B.C.’s Conservation Officer Service, which is 1-877-952-7277. Also, the legitimate acronym for their hotline, Report All Poachers and Polluters, is “RAPP,” not “RAP,” as indicated on the tag. She called the number on the neon green tag to inquire about the buck, but reached a woman who spoke to her very hurriedly, she said. The woman, who identified herself as Jessica, wanted to send Dudoward a “free medical alert device” that she could wear around her neck. “We’re very excited to tell you about a special promotion for select callers,” Dudoward recalls the woman saying. She was then asked questions such as her age to check eligibility. Jessica then explained that as a senior, the device would help her in emergencies, such as falls, by alerting her immediate contacts. To proceed with delivery, she said she needed some personal information from Dudoward, such as her address. Then, Dudoward was abruptly transferred to another agent who continued the call. But when she tried to ask her about the buck and why the agency had clipped its number on his ear, they wouldn’t respond but instead continued to promote their products “That’s just cruelty to animals. They are targeting seniors for sure, and hurting the deer in the process,” said Dudoward. She wondered how they must have handled the wild animal to dart him. She questioned, “Did they sedate him? What exactly happened there?” She was absolutely shocked. Dudoward couldn’t comprehend why B.C. Wildlife, a legitimate organization, would have put this company’s number on the buck's ear. The incident reminded her of this continued pattern of companies attempting to target elderly and vulnerable individuals. “I also have my mother’s old number, and it gets scam calls all the time,” she said. “How can they do that? Especially to seniors. They are trying to decide if they should pay the rent or get medication,” said Dudoward in frustration. She proceeded to contact the legitimate conservation officer’s number, who, like the local RCMP, didn’t pay much heed to her situation, she said. The next day, Dudoward called the agency’s number on the tag again, and the conversation took a completely different turn. Now, the agent asked if she was 18 and was promoting products aimed at youth. They informed her that she needed to pay $3 through a call paywall to proceed to the next step, during which she would be directed to the free products for which she was eligible. “The message keeps changing; this is so strange,” said Dudoward. The Northern View investigated the call and found that it was an intricately designed AI automated voice call. The system guides the caller through different phases by detecting both their spoken responses and the number keys they press. Contrary to Dudoward’s initial belief, it wasn’t a live human speaking to her, but a pre-recorded one. In fact, similar cases of fraud involving medical alert devices have happened in the U.S. before, prompting the New York State Department of State and the Minnesota Attorney General to issue cautionary alerts for consumers regarding these “robocalls.” The authorities advised seniors to immediately hang up, not press any keys when prompted, and avoid sharing personal information. “Fraud is the number one crime against older Canadians. Though people of all ages can be victims of fraud, older people get targeted more than others,” states the Canadian Government on its website. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) says that there have been 40,623 reports of fraud this year up to Oct. 31, resulting in a loss of $503 million. Vishing is a social engineering technique that uses voice communication technology. It involves fraudulent phone calls to trick the victim into revealing personal data. The CAFC advises caution during phone calls. They urge people not to hesitate to say no if something feels off and not to feel pressured by urgency or time limits. They also encourage taking enough time to research before sharing personal information. The Northern View contacted the B.C. Wildlife Federation for a comment regarding the tag on the buck. “The Conservation Officer Service darted this deer Nov. 5 to remove wires wrapped around its antlers. The tag is legitimate, but unfortunately has the wrong number on it for RAPP. The new versions of the tag have the correct number and COS will stop using these older tags,” said Jesse Zeman, executive director at B.C. Wildlife Federation. Although the exact cause of this mistake is unclear, anyone who suspects fraud should contact CAFC at 1-888-495-8501 or their local police.
Gov. Tim Walz wants to remain a force in politics, at state and national level
$500,000 ACT Grant Awarded to Fund Newport News Public Schools' New Teacher Institute ProgramPHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 12, 2024-- Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (NYSE: PNW) announced today that Pinnacle West and Arizona Public Service (APS) Chairman and CEO Jeff Guldner will retire as Chairman of the Board, CEO and board member on March 31, 2025, after 5 years of leading the company. APS President Ted Geisler will assume the roles of Chairman of the Board, President and CEO of Pinnacle West and APS effective April 1, 2025. Guldner will remain employed by Pinnacle West in a non-executive advisory capacity to support a smooth transition through the end of March 2026. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241212666520/en/ Pinnacle West and Arizona Public Service (APS) Chairman and CEO Jeff Guldner will retire as Chairman of the Board, CEO and board member on March 31, 2025, after 5 years of leading the company. Guldner will remain employed by Pinnacle West in a non-executive advisory capacity to support a smooth transition through the end of March 2026. (Photo: Business Wire) “We’re incredibly grateful for Jeff’s leadership since joining APS in 2004 as Director of Federal Regulatory Affairs and Compliance through his tenure as CEO,” said Pinnacle West Lead Director Paula Sims. “He cast a strong vision for a carbon-free future, and he initiated efforts to improve our customers’ experience and the long-term financial health of the company - the impacts of which can’t be overstated. Jeff’s passion for APS’s people, customers and the community has left an indelible mark. “Following a thoughtful succession planning process, we are excited to announce Ted Geisler as our next Chairman and CEO,” Sims continued. “Ted brings a unique blend of operational and financial acumen and results-oriented leadership from his breadth of experience across our business. He is well-positioned to build on his success as President of APS, where he drove top-quartile rankings in reliability and customer satisfaction, achieved key regulatory outcomes and set the strategy that’s enabled us to expand and strengthen the grid.” “Over my tenure as CEO, Ted has been a trusted partner and deeply involved in crafting and executing the company’s long-term strategy,” Guldner said of his successor. “No one understands our priorities better, and I have full faith Ted and the team will lead APS and Arizona successfully through the new era of growth that’s upon us.” Geisler has been President of APS since 2022 and has held a series of leadership positions at the company during his 23-year career at APS. “It’s an honor to continue to serve in this new capacity,” Geisler said. “I do so with deep respect and appreciation for Jeff, and for our essential role in powering Arizona’s progress. We have a talented team and a strategy that has reliably delivered outstanding results for our customers, communities and shareholders. I look forward to continuing to work closely with Jeff during the transition and building on the plans in place that have set the stage for APS’s success.” About Ted Geisler Geisler began his career at APS in 2001 and has held positions on the executive team since 2018, including the past two years as President. His leadership journey includes critical roles such as Chief Financial Officer, Chief Information Officer, General Manager of Transmission and Distribution Operations and Director of Corporate Strategy, as well as other key positions across operations and corporate resources. A third-generation Arizonan, Geisler is deeply committed to the community and is currently Chairman of the Board of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and on the board of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC). He sits on the W.P. Carey Dean’s Council at Arizona State University and recently was chosen as the 56th Fighter Wing Command Honorary Commander at Luke Air Force Base. He has previously served on the boards of Chicanos por la Causa and Boys and Girls Club of the Valley. Geisler earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Colorado State University and an MBA from Arizona State University. He is a graduate of the Nuclear Reactor Technology Course at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Strategic Financial Leadership Program at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. About Pinnacle West Capital Corp. Pinnacle West Capital Corp. , an energy holding company based in Phoenix, has consolidated assets of more than $26 billion, about 6,500 megawatts of generating capacity and approximately 6,100 employees in Arizona and New Mexico. Through its principal subsidiary, Arizona Public Service , the company provides retail electricity service to about 1.4 million Arizona homes and businesses. For more information about Pinnacle West, visit the company’s website at pinnaclewest.com . View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241212666520/en/ CONTACT: Media Contact: Alan Bunnell (602) 250-3376 Media Hotline (602) 250-2277 Analyst Contact: Amanda Ho (602) 250-3334 Website:pinnaclewest.com KEYWORD: ARIZONA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ENERGY PROFESSIONAL SERVICES UTILITIES FINANCE SOURCE: Pinnacle West Capital Corp. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/12/2024 05:15 PM/DISC: 12/12/2024 05:17 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241212666520/enMusk causes uproar by backing Germany’s far-right party AfDTitans vs. Jaguars Same Game Parlay Picks – NFL Week 17 Published 5:40 pm Thursday, December 26, 2024 By Data Skrive The Tennessee Titans (3-12) take a four-game losing streak into a matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars (3-12) on Sunday, December 29, 2024 at EverBank Stadium, and here are some same-game parlay options to consider. BetMGM is one of the most trusted Sportsbooks in the nation. Start with as little as $1 and place your bets today . Titans vs. Jaguars Game Info Titans vs. Jaguars Spread Titans vs. Jaguars Total Parlay With Mason Rudolph’s Pass TD Prop Parlay payout based on standard calculation and is not associated with any sportsbook offers. Visit BetMGM for odds and payout information. Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER .
PLAINS, Ga. (AP) — Newly married and sworn as a Naval officer, Jimmy Carter left his tiny hometown in 1946 hoping to climb the ranks and see the world. Less than a decade later, the death of his father and namesake, a merchant farmer and local politician who went by “Mr. Earl,” prompted the submariner and his wife, Rosalynn, to return to the rural life of Plains, Georgia, they thought they’d escaped. The lieutenant never would be an admiral. Instead, he became commander in chief. Years after his presidency ended in humbling defeat, he would add a Nobel Peace Prize, awarded not for his White House accomplishments but “for 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.” The life of James Earl Carter Jr., the 39th and longest-lived U.S. president, ended Sunday at the age of 100 where it began: Plains, the town of 600 that fueled his political rise, welcomed him after his fall and sustained him during 40 years of service that redefined what it means to be a former president. With the stubborn confidence of an engineer and an optimism rooted in his Baptist faith, Carter described his motivations in politics and beyond in the same way: an almost missionary zeal to solve problems and improve lives. Carter was raised amid racism, abject poverty and hard rural living — realities that shaped both his deliberate politics and emphasis on human rights. “He always felt a responsibility to help people,” said Jill Stuckey, a longtime friend of Carter's in Plains. “And when he couldn’t make change wherever he was, he decided he had to go higher.” Carter's path, a mix of happenstance and calculation , pitted moral imperatives against political pragmatism; and it defied typical labels of American politics, especially caricatures of one-term presidents as failures. “We shouldn’t judge presidents by how popular they are in their day. That's a very narrow way of assessing them," Carter biographer Jonathan Alter told the Associated Press. “We should judge them by how they changed the country and the world for the better. On that score, Jimmy Carter is not in the first rank of American presidents, but he stands up quite well.” Later in life, Carter conceded that many Americans, even those too young to remember his tenure, judged him ineffective for failing to contain inflation or interest rates, end the energy crisis or quickly bring home American hostages in Iran. He gained admirers instead for his work at The Carter Center — advocating globally for public health, human rights and democracy since 1982 — and the decades he and Rosalynn wore hardhats and swung hammers with Habitat for Humanity. Yet the common view that he was better after the Oval Office than in it annoyed Carter, and his allies relished him living long enough to see historians reassess his presidency. “He doesn’t quite fit in today’s terms” of a left-right, red-blue scoreboard, said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who visited the former president multiple times during his own White House bid. At various points in his political career, Carter labeled himself “progressive” or “conservative” — sometimes both at once. His most ambitious health care bill failed — perhaps one of his biggest legislative disappointments — because it didn’t go far enough to suit liberals. Republicans, especially after his 1980 defeat, cast him as a left-wing cartoon. It would be easiest to classify Carter as a centrist, Buttigieg said, “but there’s also something radical about the depth of his commitment to looking after those who are left out of society and out of the economy.” Indeed, Carter’s legacy is stitched with complexities, contradictions and evolutions — personal and political. The self-styled peacemaker was a war-trained Naval Academy graduate who promised Democratic challenger Ted Kennedy that he’d “kick his ass.” But he campaigned with a call to treat everyone with “respect and compassion and with love.” Carter vowed to restore America’s virtue after the shame of Vietnam and Watergate, and his technocratic, good-government approach didn't suit Republicans who tagged government itself as the problem. It also sometimes put Carter at odds with fellow Democrats. The result still was a notable legislative record, with wins on the environment, education, and mental health care. He dramatically expanded federally protected lands, began deregulating air travel, railroads and trucking, and he put human rights at the center of U.S. foreign policy. As a fiscal hawk, Carter added a relative pittance to the national debt, unlike successors from both parties. Carter nonetheless struggled to make his achievements resonate with the electorate he charmed in 1976. Quoting Bob Dylan and grinning enthusiastically, he had promised voters he would “never tell a lie.” Once in Washington, though, he led like a joyless engineer, insisting his ideas would become reality and he'd be rewarded politically if only he could convince enough people with facts and logic. This served him well at Camp David, where he brokered peace between Israel’s Menachem Begin and Epypt’s Anwar Sadat, an experience that later sparked the idea of The Carter Center in Atlanta. Carter's tenacity helped the center grow to a global force that monitored elections across five continents, enabled his freelance diplomacy and sent public health experts across the developing world. The center’s wins were personal for Carter, who hoped to outlive the last Guinea worm parasite, and nearly did. As president, though, the approach fell short when he urged consumers beleaguered by energy costs to turn down their thermostats. Or when he tried to be the nation’s cheerleader, beseeching Americans to overcome a collective “crisis of confidence.” Republican Ronald Reagan exploited Carter's lecturing tone with a belittling quip in their lone 1980 debate. “There you go again,” the former Hollywood actor said in response to a wonky answer from the sitting president. “The Great Communicator” outpaced Carter in all but six states. Carter later suggested he “tried to do too much, too soon” and mused that he was incompatible with Washington culture: media figures, lobbyists and Georgetown social elites who looked down on the Georgians and their inner circle as “country come to town.” Carter carefully navigated divides on race and class on his way to the Oval Office. Born Oct. 1, 1924 , Carter was raised in the mostly Black community of Archery, just outside Plains, by a progressive mother and white supremacist father. Their home had no running water or electricity but the future president still grew up with the relative advantages of a locally prominent, land-owning family in a system of Jim Crow segregation. He wrote of President Franklin Roosevelt’s towering presence and his family’s Democratic Party roots, but his father soured on FDR, and Jimmy Carter never campaigned or governed as a New Deal liberal. He offered himself as a small-town peanut farmer with an understated style, carrying his own luggage, bunking with supporters during his first presidential campaign and always using his nickname. And he began his political career in a whites-only Democratic Party. As private citizens, he and Rosalynn supported integration as early as the 1950s and believed it inevitable. Carter refused to join the White Citizens Council in Plains and spoke out in his Baptist church against denying Black people access to worship services. “This is not my house; this is not your house,” he said in a churchwide meeting, reminding fellow parishioners their sanctuary belonged to God. Yet as the appointed chairman of Sumter County schools he never pushed to desegregate, thinking it impractical after the Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v. Board decision. And while presidential candidate Carter would hail the 1965 Voting Rights Act, signed by fellow Democrat Lyndon Johnson when Carter was a state senator, there is no record of Carter publicly supporting it at the time. Carter overcame a ballot-stuffing opponent to win his legislative seat, then lost the 1966 governor's race to an arch-segregationist. He won four years later by avoiding explicit mentions of race and campaigning to the right of his rival, who he mocked as “Cufflinks Carl” — the insult of an ascendant politician who never saw himself as part the establishment. Carter’s rural and small-town coalition in 1970 would match any victorious Republican electoral map in 2024. Once elected, though, Carter shocked his white conservative supporters — and landed on the cover of Time magazine — by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” Before making the jump to Washington, Carter befriended the family of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., whom he’d never sought out as he eyed the governor’s office. Carter lamented his foot-dragging on school integration as a “mistake.” But he also met, conspicuously, with Alabama's segregationist Gov. George Wallace to accept his primary rival's endorsement ahead of the 1976 Democratic convention. “He very shrewdly took advantage of his own Southerness,” said Amber Roessner, a University of Tennessee professor and expert on Carter’s campaigns. A coalition of Black voters and white moderate Democrats ultimately made Carter the last Democratic presidential nominee to sweep the Deep South. Then, just as he did in Georgia, he used his power in office to appoint more non-whites than all his predecessors had, combined. He once acknowledged “the secret shame” of white Americans who didn’t fight segregation. But he also told Alter that doing more would have sacrificed his political viability – and thus everything he accomplished in office and after. King's daughter, Bernice King, described Carter as wisely “strategic” in winning higher offices to enact change. “He was a leader of conscience,” she said in an interview. Rosalynn Carter, who died on Nov. 19 at the age of 96, was identified by both husband and wife as the “more political” of the pair; she sat in on Cabinet meetings and urged him to postpone certain priorities, like pressing the Senate to relinquish control of the Panama Canal. “Let that go until the second term,” she would sometimes say. The president, recalled her former aide Kathy Cade, retorted that he was “going to do what’s right” even if “it might cut short the time I have.” Rosalynn held firm, Cade said: “She’d remind him you have to win to govern.” Carter also was the first president to appoint multiple women as Cabinet officers. Yet by his own telling, his career sprouted from chauvinism in the Carters' early marriage: He did not consult Rosalynn when deciding to move back to Plains in 1953 or before launching his state Senate bid a decade later. Many years later, he called it “inconceivable” that he didn’t confer with the woman he described as his “full partner,” at home, in government and at The Carter Center. “We developed a partnership when we were working in the farm supply business, and it continued when Jimmy got involved in politics,” Rosalynn Carter told AP in 2021. So deep was their trust that when Carter remained tethered to the White House in 1980 as 52 Americans were held hostage in Tehran, it was Rosalynn who campaigned on her husband’s behalf. “I just loved it,” she said, despite the bitterness of defeat. Fair or not, the label of a disastrous presidency had leading Democrats keep their distance, at least publicly, for many years, but Carter managed to remain relevant, writing books and weighing in on societal challenges. He lamented widening wealth gaps and the influence of money in politics. He voted for democratic socialist Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton in 2016, and later declared that America had devolved from fully functioning democracy to “oligarchy.” Yet looking ahead to 2020, with Sanders running again, Carter warned Democrats not to “move to a very liberal program,” lest they help re-elect President Donald Trump. Carter scolded the Republican for his serial lies and threats to democracy, and chided the U.S. establishment for misunderstanding Trump’s populist appeal. He delighted in yearly convocations with Emory University freshmen, often asking them to guess how much he’d raised in his two general election campaigns. “Zero,” he’d gesture with a smile, explaining the public financing system candidates now avoid so they can raise billions. Carter still remained quite practical in partnering with wealthy corporations and foundations to advance Carter Center programs. Carter recognized that economic woes and the Iran crisis doomed his presidency, but offered no apologies for appointing Paul Volcker as the Federal Reserve chairman whose interest rate hikes would not curb inflation until Reagan's presidency. He was proud of getting all the hostages home without starting a shooting war, even though Tehran would not free them until Reagan's Inauguration Day. “Carter didn’t look at it” as a failure, Alter emphasized. “He said, ‘They came home safely.’ And that’s what he wanted.” Well into their 90s, the Carters greeted visitors at Plains’ Maranatha Baptist Church, where he taught Sunday School and where he will have his last funeral before being buried on family property alongside Rosalynn . Carter, who made the congregation’s collection plates in his woodworking shop, still garnered headlines there, calling for women’s rights within religious institutions, many of which, he said, “subjugate” women in church and society. Carter was not one to dwell on regrets. “I am at peace with the accomplishments, regret the unrealized goals and utilize my former political position to enhance everything we do,” he wrote around his 90th birthday. The politician who had supposedly hated Washington politics also enjoyed hosting Democratic presidential contenders as public pilgrimages to Plains became advantageous again. Carter sat with Buttigieg for the final time March 1, 2020, hours before the Indiana mayor ended his campaign and endorsed eventual winner Joe Biden. “He asked me how I thought the campaign was going,” Buttigieg said, recalling that Carter flashed his signature grin and nodded along as the young candidate, born a year after Carter left office, “put the best face” on the walloping he endured the day before in South Carolina. Never breaking his smile, the 95-year-old host fired back, “I think you ought to drop out.” “So matter of fact,” Buttigieg said with a laugh. “It was somehow encouraging.” Carter had lived enough, won plenty and lost enough to take the long view. “He talked a lot about coming from nowhere,” Buttigieg said, not just to attain the presidency but to leverage “all of the instruments you have in life” and “make the world more peaceful.” In his farewell address as president, Carter said as much to the country that had embraced and rejected him. “The struggle for human rights overrides all differences of color, nation or language,” he declared. “Those who hunger for freedom, who thirst for human dignity and who suffer for the sake of justice — they are the patriots of this cause.” Carter pledged to remain engaged with and for them as he returned “home to the South where I was born and raised,” home to Plains, where that young lieutenant had indeed become “a fellow citizen of the world.” —- Bill Barrow, based in Atlanta, has covered national politics including multiple presidential campaigns for the AP since 2012.Political uncertainty has gripped the former Soviet republic of Georgia. The Georgian government - after years of trying to join the European Union — decided to suspend that effort.The HSE has denied it is sitting on land that could be used for much-needed housing despite an internal audit finding it has over 200 vacant sites. Social Democrats' deputy leader Cian O'Callaghan said it is "unconscionable" that a state agency would hold that much land in a housing crisis. “The HSE must outline why it is sitting on these properties and if any plans have been drawn up to sell or repurpose them," said Mr O'Callaghan. “It also raises the wider question of how many vacant properties owned by state bodies are lying empty around the country. “In addition to introducing a vacant property tax with teeth, the next government must carry out a full audit of any empty public buildings or offices that could be handed over to the Land Development Agency or local authorities to deliver social or affordable homes.” In response to Mr O'Callaghan's comments, the HSE said that it had 130 sites in various stages of either being sold or being reviewed for sale. 'Retained assets' It also has 104 properties that are considered retained assets. It says that these properties are vacant and have been retained for "varying reasons", including future needs. "Decisions, informed by service management are based on an understanding of current or future healthcare service needs in the relevant area. "A building may be vacated by one service with a view to refurbishment for alternative use, or a property may be maintained for future service expansion at a specific location for demographic or service requirements. They may be vacant/derelict buildings in the middle of healthcare campus." A spokesperson for the HSE said it continues to "engage with the Department of Health, Department of Housing, the Land Development Agency (LDA) and the Department of An Taoiseach in relation to its surplus assets as part of an ‘all of Government’ approach to increasing housing stock". The HSE said that it adheres to requirements around offering surplus buildings to the State. It said the HSE has disposed of 46 assets in 2023 and 2024, a significant amount of which have been transferred to local authorities and said that state stakeholders, local authorities and approved housing bodies have expressed interest in 55 of the overall total of 130 vacant HSE properties. The HSE said that it also transferred St Kevin’s in Cork City to the LDA for the provision of 266 homes and land at St Finan’s in Killarney to Kerry County Council for housing purposes.
