nuebe gaming agent PLAINS, Georgia (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. The untimely death of his father, a farmer who went by “Mr. Earl,” brought the submariner and his wife, Rosalynn , back to a rural life they thought they’d escaped. The lieutenant would never be an admiral. Instead, he became commander in chief. And, years after his presidency ended in humbling defeat, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The life of James Earl Carter Jr. ended Sunday at 100 where it began. Plains fueled the rise of the 39th U.S. president, welcomed him after his fall and sustained him during 40 years of service as a global humanitarian. With an optimism rooted in Baptist faith and an engineer's stubborn confidence, Carter showed a missionary zeal to solve problems and improve lives. “We shouldn’t judge presidents by how popular they are in their day," 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.” Many Americans judged his presidency ineffective for failing to end an energy crisis, turn around the economy or quickly bring American hostages home from Tehran. He won widespread admiration instead for The Carter Center — which has advocated for public health , human rights and democracy since 1982 — and the many years he and Rosalynn swung hammers with Habitat for Humanity . Carter's allies relished that he and Rosalynn, who died Nov. 19, 2023, lived 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, a repeat visitor during his own White House bid. READ: Carter labeled himself “progressive” or “conservative." Republicans cast him as a left-wing cartoon. He could be classified a centrist, Buttigieg told the AP, “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.” Carter's vow to restore America’s virtue after the shame of Vietnam and Watergate with a transparent, good-government approach didn’t suit Republicans who cast government as the problem. His efficiency mandate could put him at odds with Democrats. Still, he scored wins on the environment, education and mental health care ; expanded federally protected lands; began deregulating air travel, railroads and trucking; emphasized human rights in foreign policy ; and unlike later presidents, added a relative pittance to the national debt. Carter had charmed voters in 1976 , grinning enthusiastically and promising he would “never lie” to them. Once in Washington, he could seem like a joyless engineer, insisting that political rewards would follow facts and logic. Such tenacity worked well at Camp David as Carter brokered peace between Israel’s Menachem Begin and Egypt’s Anwar Sadat, but it failed him as the nation’s cheerleader, beseeching Americans to get past a “crisis of confidence.” Republican Ronald Reagan exploited Carter’s lecturing tone, saying “there you go again” in response to a wonky debate answer. “The Great Communicator” won all but six states. Carter later acknowledged an incompatibility with Washington insiders who looked down on his team as “country come to town.” His closest adviser was Rosalynn Carter, who joined his Cabinet meetings. When she urged him to postpone relinquishing the Panama Canal, Carter said he was “going to do what's right” even if meant he wouldn't get re-elected, recalled her aide, Kathy Cade. “She’d remind him you have to win to govern,” Cade said. Carter won by navigating divides on race, class and ideology. He offered himself as an outsider to Atlanta and Washington, a peanut farmer with a nickname who carried his own luggage. Born on Oct. 1, 1924 in a home without running water or electricity, he was raised by a progressive mother and racist father. He and Rosalynn privately supported integration in the 1950s, but he didn't push to desegregate schools, and there's no record of him supporting the 1965 Voting Rights Act as a state senator. Carter ran to the right of his rival to win the 1970 governor's race, then landed on the cover of Time magazine by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” He didn't befriend civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.'s family until he ran for president. “He very shrewdly took advantage of his own Southernness,” said Amber Roessner, a University of Tennessee professor who wrote a book on Carter’s campaign. Carter was the last Democratic nominee to sweep the Deep South. Then, as he did in Georgia , he used his power as president to appoint more nonwhites than all his predecessors had, combined. Many years later, Carter called it “inconceivable” that he didn't consult Rosalynn before moving their family back to Plains or launching his state Senate bid. He called the mother of their four children “a full partner" in government and at The Carter Center as well as at home. “I just loved it,” she said of campaigning, despite the bitterness of defeat. True or not, the label of a failed presidency had leading Democrats keep their distance for many years. Carter remained relevant as a freelance diplomat, writing more than 30 books and weighing in on societal challenges. Carter declared after Donald Trump's presidential victory that America was no longer a fully functioning democracy. But he also warned Democrats against moving too far left, lest they help re-elect him, and said many failed to understand Trump’s populist appeal. Pilgrimages to Plains became advantageous again for would-be presidents in recent years, and well into their 90s, the Carters greeted visitors at Plains’ Maranatha Baptist Church , where he taught Sunday School and where his last funeral will be held. In his farewell presidential address, Carter urged citizens who had embraced or rejected him to do their part as Americans. “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 as he returned “home to the South where I was born and raised,” to where he had indeed become “a fellow citizen of the world.” Copyright 2024 The Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Fixing The Biden Border

Hunter, Jeanty give Heisman ceremony a different vibe

The Cavaliers and new head coach Kenny Atkinson have been the story of the 2024-25 NBA season. Cleveland is getting it done on both ends of the court, and no team has a better record. We’re only a month into the season, so there’s plenty of time for things to change. As it stands now, the Eastern Conference is extremely top heavy, and the Cavs should continue racking up wins. The stars could be aligning for a deep postseason run, and I’m breaking down the Cavaliers’ NBA Championship odds. I’ll also review two more betting markets worth considering. Editor’s note: Click here to learn how to read betting odds and bet on sports . Cavaliers NBA Championship odds (+1300) BetMGM : +1200 bet365 : +1200 Caesars : +1100 Fanatics : +1200 FanDuel : +1200 DraftKings : +1300 Despite Cleveland’s unexpected start to the season, you still can get terrific value on the Cavaliers' NBA championship odds. DraftKings provides the best value, as a $100 wager returns $1,300. It’s no surprise to see the Celtics in the top spot of NBA championship odds markets. However, I’m slightly shocked to see some of the teams listed above the Cavaliers. BetMGM gives better odds to the Thunder (+500), Knicks (+850) and Mavericks (+1000). Cleveland’s 15-0 record was a franchise-best for consecutive wins to open a season. Only three other teams in NBA history have conquered that feat. Unfortunately, the hot streak ended earlier this week when the Cavs visited Boston and lost, 120-117. It was only the third time Cleveland gave up more than 115 points. Expectations were high for Atkinson when he inherited a roster that made the Eastern Conference semifinals. Still, nobody imagined things would go so well this early in the year. Atkinson’s up-tempo offensive philosophy has the Cavaliers scoring the most points per game in the NBA. Donovan Mitchell and Co. aren’t just taking more shots, either. Cleveland leads the league in field-goal percentage. The uptick in scoring isn’t forcing the Cavs to make sacrifices on defense. Cleveland ranks in the top half of the NBA in average points allowed, a sign of a well-balanced squad. The 2024-25 NBA season is still young, and more time is needed to sort out the Finals contenders and pretenders. But at +1200 odds or longer, the Cavaliers deserve consideration if you’re looking to place an NBA championship bet. Cavaliers Eastern Conference winner odds (+500) BetMGM : +500 bet365 : +500 Caesars : +425 Fanatics : +475 FanDuel : +500 DraftKings : +500 Only four teams have stood out in the East: the Cavaliers, Celtics, Magic and Knicks. Every other squad is below .500, and the foursome mentioned above has the star power to compete in the postseason. All roads to the NBA Finals lead through Boston, as the Celtics look poised to defend the Larry O’Brien Trophy. If it does come down to Cavs versus Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, let’s review how the teams matched up in their first meeting earlier this week. Cleveland’s high-flying offense was held to 40 points in the first half, and Boston led by 17 at the break. The Cavs’ deficit grew to 21 in the second half until Cleveland tallied 40 third-quarter points. The Cavaliers kept it close in the final 12 minutes, but the Celtics kept answering and never surrendered the lead. Mitchell led all scorers with 35 points, but Darius Garland had his worst game of the year. Garland hit 14.3% of his shots, went 0-for-6 from three and finished with eight points. It was his first game without a three-pointer. The Celtics’ bigger guards got the better of Garland, which is cause for concern in future meetings. In Cleveland’s defense, Max Strus, Isaac Okoro, Caris LeVert and Dean Wade were inactive. It’s easy to point to the Cavaliers’ lack of depth as a reason for the loss. I’m not putting much stock in an early-season defeat on the road, and the Cavaliers should be in the mix for the conference title because of the lack of quality teams in the East. Cavaliers win total and odds BetMGM : 56.5 (-110 to the over) bet365 : 56.5 (-105 to the over) Caesars : Not available Fanatics : Not available FanDuel : 56.5 (-110 to the over) DraftKings : Not available I may be beating a dead horse, but facing a weak Eastern Conference provides faith in the Cavaliers surpassing their win total. It would be notable to reach the totals listed above, as Cleveland has won 55+ games in only one season since 2010. The three worst teams in the East (Raptors, Wizards and 76ers) have yet to crack five wins, and 11 of the 15 squads are below .500. The Cavs are the only Central Division team with a winning record. Mitchell is the obvious star in Cleveland. The 28-year-old leads the team in scoring, three-pointers and steals, but it’s not a one-man show at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mitchell and Garland are a strong one-two punch. Garland is an efficient three-point shooter and excels at creating shots for his teammates. Evan Mobley’s scoring is up from his previous three seasons, and he’s benefitted greatly from Atkinson’s offensive scheme. Mobley and Jarrett Allen give the Cavs an offensive presence near the rim, making Cleveland a high-level scoring threat from multiple areas of the court. Mobley and Allen also provide excellent rim defense and rebounding. Starting the season 15-0 wasn’t a fluke, and there’s no reason why the Cavaliers’ winning ways can’t continue. 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Bitcoin, the world’s most well-known cryptocurrency, recently surpassed the $100,000 (€95,149) mark. This milestone has led BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, to recommend including Bitcoin in diversified investment portfolios. In its report, Sizing Bitcoin in Portfolios , BlackRock highlights how Bitcoin can help investors spread risk. Why BlackRock recommends Bitcoin BlackRock advises that Bitcoin, which has often been seen as highly risky, is maturing and could be an excellent addition to a well-balanced investment portfolio. The company suggests that a small allocation, only around 1-2 per cent of a typical 60/40 portfolio (a mix of 60 per cent stocks and 40 per cent bonds) could bring benefits through diversification. Most Read on Euro Weekly News Cryptocurrency is coming to Spanish banks: A beginner’s guide to crypto How and where you can buy Bitcoin Bitcoin’s total value, estimated at $2 trillion (€1.9 trillion), puts it on par with the combined market size of major tech companies such as Google and Microsoft. According to BlackRock’s Chief Investment Officer, Samara Cohen, Bitcoin’s unique features, such as its independence from traditional markets, make it an appealing way to reduce reliance on other assets including stocks. Why is Bitcoin gaining traction? Bitcoin operates without central control from banks or governments, making it particularly appealing during times of political and financial uncertainty. Bitcoin’s value doesn’t usually move in sync with stock or bond markets, making it a useful way to spread risk in a portfolio. BlackRock notes that Bitcoin could see the biggest returns while it’s still gaining wider acceptance. However, this phase also comes with higher risks. Also, Bitcoin’s price swings can be extreme, with past losses of up to 70 per cent in a year. Investors must be ready and stoic for sudden changes. The future of Bitcoin If Bitcoin becomes more widely accepted, its value could stabilise, reducing its potential for massive price increases. In that case, Bitcoin could act more like gold – a way to protect generational wealth rather than a fast-growing investment. In a recent Euro Weekly News article, Spanish banks were reported to soon be offering cryptocurrency services like buying, selling, and storing digital currencies such as Bitcoin. BlackRock’s research shows that even a small Bitcoin investment affects overall portfolio risk. For example, a 1 per cent allocation adds 2 per cent to overall risk, while a 2 per cent allocation increases it to 5 per cent. Going beyond 2 per cent could significantly increase portfolio risk, particularly during volatile market conditions.

Senate Democrats are hustling to confirm far-left federal judges before the end of the 118th Congress next month , even after making a “handshake agreement” with Republicans to relinquish four appeals court appointments to President-elect Donald Trump. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) acknowledged this week that lame-duck President Biden’s four nominees didn’t have a path to confirmation in the closely divided chamber — and that striking the deal with the GOP boosted the chances of adding to the more than 220 jurists confirmed to the federal bench since Biden took office in January 2021. “The trade was four circuit nominees — all lacking the votes to get confirmed — for more than triple the number of additional judges moving forward,” a Schumer spokesperson said in a statement. A Senate Republican aide told The Post that the settlement was part of “speeding the process” for as many as 25 judges in Democrat-controlled states to be confirmed before the end of the year. While not setting any records, the number of Biden appointees joining the federal judiciary is rapidly approaching the 245 confirmed under Trump, 78 — all of whom will serve for as long as they wish, barring impeachment and removal. Schumer has already filed cloture on several other controversial picks who were opposed by Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee — including California district judge nominee Cynthia Valenzuela Dixon, who passed the first procedural hurdle with a 50-49 vote. Dixon, who currently serves as a California state bar court judge, was flagged for her prior activism as national director of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, where she attacked voter ID laws as “modern-day poll taxes” and advocated for illegal immigrants to receive in-state tuition . Schumer also moved ahead with the nominations of Brian Murphy, who was picked to be a district judge in Massachusetts, and Sparkle Sooknanan, tapped by Biden for a district judgeship in the nation’s capital. Both nominations will come up for a floor vote when the Senate comes back from its Thanksgiving recess in early December. As a board member of the Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Murphy signed an open letter in June 2022 calling for the elimination of all arrests “for fraught and unnecessary police encounters involving possessory offenses, assault and battery, breaking and entering, and similar offenses.” Murphy did not disclose the letter to the committee — but Senate Republican staffers revealed his alarming stance, along with others, in a questionnaire . “I do not recall any discussion about this letter, nor do I recall reading it,” he admitted in the questionnaire. “I do not know what led to the issuance of this letter nor what basis was relied upon for its factual assertions.” Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a Judiciary panel member known for his colorful comments and pointed questions, has vigorously opposed many nominees by calling attention to their past left-wing activism and overturned rulings. During a recent hearing, Kennedy made California district judge nominee Noel Wise squirm by reading out a Time magazine article she authored about gender identity. “‘Sex has countless — countless — natural permutations,'” the senator recited , before asking: “Did I read that correctly?” “I believe that is consistent with medical science,” responded Wise, who is also up for a final confirmation vote after Thanksgiving when the Senate reconvenes. It’s unclear whether Dem-aligned independent Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia or Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona — both of whom are retiring at the end of this Congress — will oppose the judges in a final floor vote. This week, US Magistrate Judge Embry Kidd — who failed to inform senators about lenient sentences he gave to child sex offenders that were later reversed — was confirmed by a 49-45 vote to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers Georgia, Alabama and Florida. Kidd’s confirmation came about only because of five Republican absences — including Vice President-elect and Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) — and despite Manchin voting against the nomination. “This leftist judge would have been voted down and the seat on the important 11th circuit would have been filled by Donald Trump next year had Republicans showed up,” raged Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis on X. “Now, the leftist judge will have a lifetime appointment and the people of FL, AL and GA will suffer the consequences.” The GOP aide explained that before the deal was struck on confirming judges, “it was a game of chicken” to see “who’s showing up any particular day” — with Vice President Kamala Harris unable to cast tie-breaking votes this week due to her vacationing in Hawaii. “The Democrats are trying to stack the Courts with Radical Left Judges on their way out the door,” Trump raged Wednesday on his Truth Social account. “Republican Senators need to Show Up and Hold the Line — No more Judges confirmed before Inauguration Day!” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) cheered on the deal that his conference later struck with Democrats, while warning that any of the four appeals court judges who pledged to vacate their seat should not go “back on their word to retire” with Trump due to take office. “The Senate yesterday reached a deal to NOT bring President Biden’s four pending circuit nominees for a vote, which will allow President Trump to replace them,” Tillis said in a Thursday statement on X. “I expect that the judges who submitted their retirements will not play partisan politics with a presidential transition and a bipartisan Senate deal by going back on their word to retire,” he added. “No judges did this during the previous lame duck because the judiciary needs to be above partisan politics.” Former President Ronald Reagan holds the all-time judicial confirmation record, with 402 federal judges placed on the bench during his eight years in office.

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Owen McCown named MVP of Myrtle Beach Bowl

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (AP) — Victims' families and others affected by crimes that resulted in federal death row convictions shared a range of emotions on Monday, from relief to anger, after President Joe Biden commuted dozens of the sentences . Biden converted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The inmates include people who were convicted in the slayings of police, military officers and federal prisoners and guards. Others were involved in deadly robberies and drug deals. Three inmates will remain on federal death row: Dylann Roof , convicted of the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; the 2013 Boston Marathon Bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev , and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of life Synagogue in 2018 , the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history. Opponents of the death penalty lauded Biden for a decision they'd long sought. Supporters of Donald Trump , a vocal advocate of expanding capital punishment, criticized the move as an assault to common decency just weeks before the president-elect takes office. Donnie Oliverio, a retired Ohio police officer whose partner, Bryan Hurst, was killed by an inmate whose death sentence was commuted, said the execution of “the person who killed my police partner and best friend would have brought me no peace.” “The president has done what is right here,” Oliverio said in a statement also issued by the White House. But Hurst’s widow, Marissa Gibson, called Biden's commutation distressing and a "complete dismissal and undermining of the federal justice system,” in a statement to The Columbus Dispatch . Heather Turner, whose mother, Donna Major, was killed in a 2017 South Carolina bank robbery, called the commutation of the killer's sentence a “clear gross abuse of power” in a Facebook post, adding the weeks she spent in court with the hope of justice “just a waste of time.” “At no point did the president consider the victims,” Turner wrote. “He, and his supporters, have blood on their hands.” There has always been a broad range of opinions on what punishment Roof should face from the families of the nine people killed and the survivors of the massacre at the Mother Emanuel AME Church. Many forgave him, but some say they can’t forget and their forgiveness doesn’t mean they don’t want to see him put to death for what he did. Felicia Sanders survived the shooting shielding her granddaughter while watching Roof kill her son, Tywanza, and her aunt, Susie Jackson. Sanders brought her bullet-torn bloodstained Bible to his sentencing and said then she can’t even close her eyes to pray because Roof started firing during the closing prayer of Bible study that night. In a text message to her lawyer, Andy Savage, Sanders called Biden’s decision to not spare Roof’s life a wonderful Christmas gift. Michael Graham, whose sister, Cynthia Hurd, was killed, told The Associated Press that Roof’s lack of remorse and simmering white nationalism in the country means he is the kind of dangerous and evil person the death penalty is intended for. “This was a crime against a race of people," Graham said. “It didn’t matter who was there, only that they were Black.” But the Rev. Sharon Richer, who was Tywanza Sanders’ cousin and whose mother, Ethel Lance, was killed, criticized Biden for not sparing Roof and clearing out all of death row. She said every time Roof’s case comes up through numerous appeals it is like reliving the massacre all over again. “I need the President to understand that when you put a killer on death row, you also put their victims' families in limbo with the false promise that we must wait until there is an execution before we can begin to heal,” Richer said in a statement. Richer, a board member of Death Penalty Action, which seeks to abolish capital punishment, was driven to tears by conflicting emotions during a Zoom news conference Monday. “The families are left to be hostages for the years and years of appeals that are to come,” Richer said. “I’ve got to stay away from the news today. I’ve got to turn the TV off — because whose face am I going to see?” Biden is giving more attention to the three inmates he chose not to spare, something they all wanted as a part of what drove them to kill, said Abraham Bonowitz, Death Penalty Action’s executive director. “These three racists and terrorists who have been left on death row came to their crimes from political motivations. When Donald Trump gets to execute them what will really be happening is they will be given a global platform for their agenda of hatred,” Bonowitz said. Biden had faced pressure from advocacy organizations to commute federal death sentences, and several praised him for taking action in his final month in office. Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the ACLU, said in a statement that Biden “has shown our country — and the rest of the world — that the brutal and inhumane policies of our past do not belong in our future.” Republicans, including Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, on the other hand, criticized the move — and argued its moral ground was shaky given the three exceptions. “Once again, Democrats side with depraved criminals over their victims, public order, and common decency,” Cotton wrote on X. “Democrats can’t even defend Biden’s outrageous decision as some kind of principled, across-the-board opposition to the death penalty since he didn’t commute the three most politically toxic cases.” Liz Murrill, Louisiana's Republican attorney general, criticized the commuted sentence of Len Davis, a former New Orleans policeman convicted of orchestrating the killing of a woman who had filed a complaint against him. “We can’t trust the Feds to get justice for victims of heinous crimes, so it’s long past time for the state to get it done,” the tough-on-crime Republican said in a written statement to the AP. Two men whose sentences were commuted were Norris Holder and Billie Jerome Allen, on death row for opening fire with assault rifles during a 1997 bank robbery in St. Louis, killing a guard, 46-year-old Richard Heflin. Holder’s attorney, Madeline Cohen, said in an email that Holder, who is Black, was sentenced to death by an all-white jury. She said his case “reflects many of the system’s flaws,” and thanked Biden for commuting his sentence. “Norris’ case exemplifies the racial bias and arbitrariness that led the President to commute federal death sentences,” Cohen said. “Norris has always been deeply remorseful for the pain his actions caused, and we hope this decision brings some measure of closure to Richard Heflin’s family.” Swenson reported from Seattle. Associated Press writers Jim Salter in O'Fallon, Missouri, and Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, contributed to this report.