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.NEW YORK (AP) — Top-ranked chess player Magnus Carlsen is headed back to the World Blitz Championship on Monday after its governing body agreed to loosen a dress code that got him fined and denied a late-round game in another tournament for refusing to change out of jeans . Lamenting the contretemps, International Chess Federation President Arkady Dvorkovich said in a statement Sunday that he'd let World Blitz Championship tournament officials consider allowing “appropriate jeans” with a jacket, and other “elegant minor deviations” from the dress code. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.game super ace 。

"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" Thanks for your interest in Kalkine Media's content! To continue reading, please log in to your account or create your free account with us.Senator John Fetterman (D-Pa.) reacted with characteristic bluntness to the withdrawal of former Representative Matt Gaetz from consideration for U.S. Attorney General . Speaking to reporters at the Capitol on November 21, Fetterman sarcastically remarked on the news, which came after fresh revelations about Gaetz's alleged misconduct. "Holy s–t! I didn't see that coming," Fetterman said, adding, "Like yes, he was the ultimate troll... You better pace yourself though—it's not even Thanksgiving yet. We don't have to take unserious things so seriously, like the world's gonna spin off its axis." John Fetterman on Matt Gaetz withdrawing name: Holy shit! I didn't see that coming! @DailyCaller pic.twitter.com/OO43H1d9Ck Gaetz , nominated by President-elect Donald Trump, faced widespread skepticism about his fitness for the role due to ongoing ethics investigations and a history of scandal. His withdrawal Thursday followed CNN's reporting of new allegations regarding a sexual encounter between Gaetz and a 17-year-old. The allegations and mounting criticism led Gaetz to step down , stating he did not want to be a "distraction" to Trump's transition team. Fetterman mocked the situation further, joking that Trump might commemorate the incident: "I just heard that Trump is going to issue a new silver dollar to commemorate that. So, I think that's going to be the next cycle." Earlier in the month, Fetterman had described Gaetz's nomination as "God-tier trolling" by Trump, suggesting it was meant to provoke outrage rather than a serious consideration. Despite his critique of Gaetz, Fetterman praised some of Trump's other cabinet picks, such as Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) for Secretary of State, calling them "serious choices." Sen. John Fetterman says Donald Trump tapping Rep. Matt Gaetz for Attorney General is "god tier level trolling." pic.twitter.com/O7RfrKBRbk While Gaetz's resignation from Congress ended the House Ethics Committee's jurisdiction over his conduct, allegations surrounding Gaetz continue to garner attention amid scrutiny regarding his political future. Originally published by Latin Times .Arkansas WR Andrew Armstrong declares for NFL draft, skipping bowl

Don’t Expect Donald Trump to Tackle America’s Record HomelessnessCOLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Ethan Taylor's 21 points helped Air Force defeat Mercyhurst 82-48 on Sunday night. Taylor added 10 rebounds for the Falcons (2-4). Wesley Celichowski scored 14 points, going 6 of 11 and 2 of 3 from the free-throw line. Luke Kearney had 12 points and shot 4 for 5 from beyond the arc. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get updates and player profiles ahead of Friday's high school games, plus a recap Saturday with stories, photos, video Frequency: Seasonal Twice a week

Search your school’s results using our 2024 NAPLAN interactive guide

DraftKings Inc. Cl A stock rises Monday, still underperforms marketHeavy travel day off to a rough start after American Airlines briefly grounds all flights

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes continues to build great chemistry with his tight end — just not the one you might think. Mahomes threw two touchdown passes to Noah Gray for the second straight week as the Kansas City Chiefs held off the Carolina Panthers 30-27 on Sunday. A week after losing at Buffalo, the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs (10-1) maintained their position atop the AFC. Mahomes completed a 35-yard touchdown strike to Gray on the game’s opening possession and found him again for an 11-yard TD in the second quarter. Gray has four touchdown catches in the last two weeks — twice as many as nine-time Pro Bowler Travis Kelce has all season — and has become a weapon in the passing game for the Chiefs, who lost top wide receiver Rashee Rice to a season-ending knee injury in Week 4. Kelce was still a factor Sunday with a team-high six catches for 62 yards, although the four-time All-Pro looked dejected after dropping one easy pass. Kelce has 62 receptions for 507 yards this season, while Gray has 26 catches for 249 yards. But Gray's development is a good sign for the Chiefs — and he's on the same page with Mahomes. On his second TD, Gray said Mahomes “gave me the answer to the test there” before the play. “He told me what coverage it was pre-snap," said Gray, who had four receptions for 66 yards. “That’s just the blessing you have of playing with a quarterback like that. Offensive line did a great job blocking that up and the receivers did a great job running their routes to pop me open. Really just a group effort right there on that touchdown.” Gray said that's nothing new. “Pat’s preparation, his leadership is just something that I’m fortunate enough to play alongside,” Gray said. "I love it. It gets me motivated every time we go out there for a long drive. Having a leader like that, that prepares every single week in-and out, knows defenses, knows the game plans. “I’m just fortunate enough to play alongside a guy like that.” Mahomes completed 27 of 37 passes for 269 yards and three TDs, and he knew what to do on the second TD to Gray. “It's not just me, it's the quarterback coaches and the players, we go through certain checks you get to versus certain coverages,” Mahomes said. “I was able to see by the way they lined up they were getting into their cover-zero look. I alerted the guys to make sure they saw what I saw and I gave the check at the line of scrimmage.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflThe standard Lorem Ipsum passage, used since the 1500s "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" Thanks for your interest in Kalkine Media's content! To continue reading, please log in to your account or create your free account with us.

JI launches 'Farmers' March' from Mandi Bahauddin todayOpinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes a mix of guest commentaries online and in print each day. To contribute, click here . ••• I’ve lived in northeastern Minnesota my entire life and yet, to this day, my breath is still regularly taken away by a stunning sunset over a lake or the silence that follows a fresh fallen snow in the woods. Like Jill Burcum recently described in her column regarding the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA) (” Our stewardship obligations still require a no on this mine, this location ,” Strib Voices, Nov. 24), I too, draw deep inspiration from the natural resources we are blessed with in Minnesota. This is why I’ve devoted my career to ensuring these resources are fiercely protected. However, we aren’t doing the Earth any favors by declaring a definitive “no” against potential mining projects instead of asking “how?” and “by whom?” and “why?” Minnesota happens to sit on top of one of the most significant undeveloped deposits of copper, nickel, cobalt and other minerals on the globe. Many of my fellow Minnesotans who I am fortunate to call friends are working to find the best solutions to safely mine these resources while protecting the environment. Miners don’t do the work of developing a project in a vacuum, though. Proposing a mine and answering the questions of how it will be done and by whom and why involves engagement among a wide range of stakeholders: state, federal and tribal governments, community members, labor unions, regulators, scientific experts and more. Burcum has continued suggest Minnesota should simply say no to certain mining projects rather than giving these stakeholders a voice and opportunity to participate in the process of reviewing a proposal to determine if it can move forward. When we refuse to seek any solutions in good faith and focus only on seeking problems; when we refuse to recognize how mining has evolved; and when we refuse to admit our role in creating the demand as consumers and therefore, admit our responsibilities, we do the Earth no favors. When we engage solely in an effort to block, delay and divert sourcing of minerals to “somewhere else” mined by “someone else,” we are ignoring and outsourcing the needed conversation. Politicizing the issue isn’t doing anything for the Earth, either. The fact is, we all depend on mining for everything from our smartphones to medical technologies to the roads we drive on and the homes we live in. Burcum points out that we need a lot more mining to transition to clean energy technologies. She’s right. The World Bank estimates that mineral production needs to increase by 500% by 2050 to meet the needs of the energy transition. Mining is fundamental to our lives today and more important than ever for our future. Protecting our environment shouldn’t be a partisan issue, either. The importance of protecting water goes beyond Minnesota’s borders. Every mineral we use comes from a watershed valued by someone. True social justice requires consumers to consider everyone’s watersheds, not just their own. Closer to home, we know all of Minnesota’s natural resources deserve protection. One of the solutions to protecting those resources — critical minerals that can build a cleaner future — happens to be located in northern Minnesota, and we should embrace that opportunity and find ways to utilize those resources while protecting our water, air and land. Minnesota is one of the best places to mine on the planet, not only because we have the minerals here, but also because our environmental and labor standards are thoughtful and just. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources declared last year that the state’s water regulations are stringent enough to protect the BWCA in response to a lawsuit brought against the agency by Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness. Those regulations include a “non-detect” standard, meaning no amount of pollution is allowed. If a mining company cannot prove it can meet that standard, it will not earn permits to build a mine. Let’s allow regulators to do the important work of upholding these standards. Let’s also give communities and stakeholders the opportunity to discuss mining projects. Let’s approach these issues not with folded arms but rather with openness and a goal of finding solutions. Let’s not be afraid to challenge ourselves to be open to a conversation that includes both the need for our energy transition and the role Minnesota should play to make this happen. Julie Lucas is the executive director of MiningMinnesota.

Book Bargain Hunters to Be Disappointed: Costco Plans to Stop Selling Books in Most U.S. Stores Starting Next Year The retail sector continues to grow and transform globally. According to Statista, supermarkets are major players in the retail industry, as these chains sell enormous quantities of products to thousands of customers daily. In fact, among the most valuable European retail brands are multiple supermarket chains such as Carrefour, Tesco, Aldi, and Lidl. In this context, one standout brand in the sector is Costco. According to its reports, Costco has experienced a steady annual increase in its global net sales, rising from $110.2 billion in 2014 to $249.6 billion in 2024. Costco has made a name for itself worldwide as an exclusive membership-based wholesale retailer with warehouse-style stores. The brand announced that in January 2025, it will eliminate the popular book section from most of its more than 600 U.S. stores. Books will only return during the holiday season, from September to December, and at other intermittent times, as the discount chain informed publishers over the summer. Costco explained to executives that the decision was made because stocking books on tables is labor-intensive and must be done manually rather than using forklifts like other products, according to the Times. This move comes at a time when more and more consumers are purchasing books through online retailers such as Amazon. However, books will remain available year-round in about 100 Costco stores nationwide, according to Publisher’s Weekly, a specialized news magazine that reported on this development earlier this week. The decision to keep books in some stores represents a change from the retailer’s earlier plans, the outlet reported. Publishing and Costco executives are also closely monitoring sales trends for Taylor Swift’s official Eras Tour book, which will be sold exclusively at Target starting on Black Friday, Publisher’s Weekly reported. According to the magazine, if book sales remain strong, Costco could consider bringing book sections back to more stores, or all of them might become seasonal if sales slow. It is worth noting that many brands remove products from the market, including some consumer favorites. For example, Walmart has discontinued various products, among others. Cancela en cualquier momento Acceso exclusivo a rankings y radiografías. Análisis profundos y casos de estudio de éxito. Historial de la revista impresa en formato digital. ¡Disfruta de lo mejor del marketing sin costo alguno por unmes!

CNOOC Limited and 80883 announces that Huizhou 26-6 Oilfield Development Project has commenced production. The project is located in the Pearl River Mouth Basin, with an average water depth of approximately 110 meters. The main production facilities include a new intelligent drilling production platform, as well as the adaptively-modified “NAN HAI FEN JIN” FPSO. A total of 19 development wells are planned to be commissioned, including 2 oil production wells and 17 gas production wells. The project is expected to achieve a peak production of approximately 20,600 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2027. The main products include light crude and natural gas. Huizhou 26-6 Oilfield Development Project is CNOOC Limited’s first deep buried hill reservoir development project in the South China Sea. The Company has been actively adopting the state-of-art technologies. The first intelligent offshore drilling production platform in China was built for this project, to realize efficient development of the offshore oil and gas resources. The new project will contribute to the economic and social development of the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area. CNOOC Limited holds 100% interest in this project and is the operator. Source: CNOOC LimitedStatewide copper wire theft law will take effect Jan. 1 despite lawsuit from scrap metal industry

Shoppers are racing to Dollar Tree for its ‘beautiful’ $1.25 Christmas mugs – they’re just like Amazon’s but 93% cheaper(The Center Square) – State and national officials lauded former President Jimmy Carter for his public service after learning of his death Sunday afternoon at the age of 100. President Joe Biden said an official state funeral would be held for Carter in Washington. "He was a man of great character and courage, hope and optimism," Biden said. "We will always cherish seeing him and Rosalynn together. The love shared between Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter is the definition of partnership and their humble leadership is the definition of patriotism." President-elect Donald Trump urged everyone to keep the Carter family in their thoughts and prayers. "The challenges Jimmy faced as President came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans," Trump said in a statement released from his campaign. "For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude." Former president Bill Clinton gave Carter and his wife Rosalynn the Medal of Freedom in 1999. "From his commitment to civil rights as a state senator and governor of Georgia; to his efforts as President to protect our natural resources in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, make energy conservation a national priority, return the Panama Canal to Panama, and secure peace between Egypt and Israel at Camp David; to his post-presidential efforts at the Carter Center supporting honest elections, advancing peace combating disease, and promoting democracy; to his and Rosalynn's devotion and hard work at Habitat for Humanity--he worked tirelessly for a fairer, better world," Clinton and his wife Hillary said in a statement. Former president George W. Bush hailed Carter as a man of deeply held convictions. "President Carter dignified the office," Bush said on social media. "And his efforts to leave behind a better world didn't end with the presidency. His work with Habitat for Humanity and the Carter Center set an example of service that will inspire Americans for generations." Carter served as Georgia's governor from 1971-1975 before becoming president. Under his leadership, the European and Japanese state trade offices were launched, as well as the Georgia Film Commission," Gov. Brian Kemp said. "He and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter's support of the civil rights movement in the place of its birth is also remembered with deep appreciation." Lt. Gov. Burt Jones said Carter exemplified what it meant to be a public servant. "I had the honor of meeting him and his wife, and I will never forget that day," Jones said. "They were kind, wonderful, accepting and exactly what they portrayed every day, two people devoted to lifting up those in their community who needed help the most. President Carter's legacy will live on in the numerous nonprofits, charities and organizations Rosalynn, his family and him started."Alongside regional supplies and arbitrage arrivals from Europe, steady inflows of finished grades, low sulfur straight run (LSSR) fuel oil and crude blend stocks from the Middle East and West Africa are expected to boost Asia’s LSFO inventories, traders and industry analysts told S&P Global Commodity Insights. “We do see a moderate build through the year in 2025. We don’t see a supply deficit issue situation at all. So, it should be lower LSFO refining margins and weaker market structure ... We see no way for the LSFO stockpiles not to build,” a Singapore-based trader said. After exports from Kuwait’s Al-Zour mega refinery flooded the Asian LSFO market, disrupting some traditional flows from European markets, Singapore — the world’s largest bunkering hub — has seen incremental LSSR supplies from Nigeria’s new Dangote refinery. More recently, shipments of Meleck crude from Niger have arrived, but sources said the West African heavy sweet crude is unlikely to be a significant dampener for the market going forward. “We are expecting higher supplies to weigh on the LSFO market amid lackluster demand growth ... With the threat of tariffs, status quo of the Red Sea disruption, adoption of scrubbers and use of alternative fuels, LSFO demand growth will be pressured,” Kendrick Wee, research and analysis director at Commodity Insights, said. “More supplies are likely coming out of Kuwait into the market, although most of the increases would have already been seen in 2024. These may not directly come to Asia, but they will still indirectly help ease the LSFO balance. Additionally, we are expecting the resumption of heavy sweet crude exports from South Sudan to add more supplies,” Wee added. The LSFO cash differential for physical cargoes against the Mean of Platts Singapore strip has averaged $5.96/mt so far in 2024 through Dec. 20, compared with $10.37/mt in 2023 and $26.08/mt in 2022, Commodity Insights data showed. In the Singapore downstream market, traders also anticipate that ongoing price competition from alternative bunker supply locations, such as Malaysia and China’s Zhoushan hub, could create additional headwinds for the demand outlook in 2025. The proportion of high sulfur fuel oil bunker sales has been consistently increasing in 2024, while low sulfur marine fuel sales dwindled, as newer scrubber-fitted ships coming out of shipyards joined the global commercial fleet and drove consumption of the dirtier fuel grade. “I think that story will continue. I think we will still have a slightly marginal increase of HSFO bunker sales ... Overall, we think high sulfur will continue to nibble away at the low sulfur percentage of usage,” a trader said. “There are still some ships coming out in 2025 that will allow a little bit of growth on the high sulfur side relative to low sulfur. But we don’t think it is an economic proposition at this point to put on new scrubbers,” the trader added. Although the percentage of HSFO bunker sales continues to increase relative to LSFO, several market sources said this trend is starting to stagnate. Over January-November, HSFO accounted for an average of 36.6% of monthly bunker sales, up from the 32.2% average in 2023, according to the latest data from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. Meanwhile, the proportion of LSFO in total sales fell to an average of 55.5% from 60.3% over the same period. “It is plateauing ... Sure, more scrubber-fitted ships will join the fleet in 2025, but the acceleration in uptake is slowing ... In 2025, some 200-300 scrubber ships will join the global fleet, which is about half the number in 2024,” Roslan Khasawneh, senior oil analyst at Kpler, said. “IMO 2020 obviously prompted demand for scrubbers, but at the same time, the world was in lockdown at the start of the decade, forcing many shipyards to delay installations into the past couple of years.” “On top of that, the focus is now on decarbonization, and demand for ‘cleaner’ alternative fuels is on the rise, chipping away at the demand growth potential of conventional fuels,” Khasawneh added. The Platts-assessed spread between Singapore 0.5%S marine fuel oil and the benchmark HSFO cargo prices — known as the Hi-5 spread — was at $87.99/mt on Dec. 20, Commodity Insights data showed. The spread has averaged $126.78/mt so far in 2024, compared with an average of $147.48/mt in 2023, the data showed. Source:

Chandigarh: Punjab food and civil supplies minister Lal Chand Kataruchak on Tuesday said the even though milling of the procured paddy had begun in three districts, the Centre had managed to create space for only 25 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) for fresh stocks of rice, against 115 LMT required by the end of the milling season in March, 2025. While informing that 173.65 LMT of paddy had been procured during the procurement season that ended on Nov 30, the minister said that rice milling had begun in Pathankot, Mohali and Ropar but the issue of storage space was yet to be addressed by the Centre. “The Centre should expedite creation of space for rice stocks. We don’t wish to create panic, but it is a valid demand. In the last two months, 25 LMT space has been created. But when the fresh stocks of paddy are milled, we will need space for 115 LMT of rice. The state govt has been continually raising the matter with the Centre and the Food Corporation of India (FCI),” said Kataruchak after a meeting with officials as the paddy procurement season ended on Nov 30. Kataruchak said that the FCI has set a target of moving out 15 LMT of foodgrains in the month of Dec and there is need for the Centre to do more so that there is no problem at the end of the milling process. “The milling exercise will gradually pick up in the state. Presently, 18 trains are being used for movement of trains from the state,” he said. In October, the Centre had assured to move out 40 LMT foodgrains from the state in the next 2-3 months to address the storage issue. Ranjit Singh Jossan, vice-president, Punjab Basmati Rice Millers and Exporters Association, said millers in the state demand that the promise about creation of adequate space should be fulfilled. “This year, around 174 LMT of paddy arrived in Punjab's markets, which rice millers have stored despite last year’s challenges. Trusting the Punjab government and the FCI’s promise to provide 40 LMT of rice storage space by Dec 1, Punjab millers lifted all the paddy. However, only 26 LMT of space has been created so far. Punjab millers demand the government ensure complete storage availability by March 31 and fulfil its commitment,” he said. The rice millers also demanded ‘transparency’ in the trials for PR-126 done by central teams in October. “The report on PR 126 trials conducted by IIT Kharagpur teams should be made public and implemented promptly to mitigate potential losses to the rice milling sector,” he added. Meanwhile, Kataruchak said an e-KYC survey was currently going on with regard to the verification of the ration cards. He said that out of the total 1.57 crore beneficiaries, the e-KYC process of verification has been completed for 1.06 crore beneficiaries and appealed to the remaining beneficiaries to go for the e - KYC procedure so as to make sure that the genuine and needy beneficiaries are not devoid of the benefits of receiving 5 Kg wheat per person per month.The standard Lorem Ipsum passage, used since the 1500s "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" Thanks for your interest in Kalkine Media's content! To continue reading, please log in to your account or create your free account with us.(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Robert C. Donnelly , Gonzaga University (THE CONVERSATION) Former President Jimmy Carter, who died on Dec. 29, 2024, at age 100 at his home in Plains, Georgia, was a dark horse Democratic presidential candidate with little national recognition when he beat Republican incumbent Gerald Ford in 1976. The introspective former peanut farmer pledged a new era of honesty and forthrightness at home and abroad, a promise that resonated with voters eager for change following the Watergate scandal and the Vietnam War. His presidency, however, lasted only one term before Ronald Reagan defeated him. Since then, scholars have debated – and often maligned – Carter’s legacy, especially his foreign policy efforts that revolved around human rights. Critics have described Carter’s foreign policies as “ineffectual” and “hopelessly muddled ,” and their formulation demonstrated “weakness and indecision.” As a historian researching Carter’s foreign policy initiatives , I conclude his overseas policies were far more effective than critics have claimed. A Soviet strategy The criticism of Carter’s foreign policies seems particularly mistaken when it comes to the Cold War, a period defined by decades of hostility, mutual distrust and arms buildup after World War II between the U.S. and Russia, then known as the Soviet Union or Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). By the late 1970s, the Soviet Union’s economy and global influence were weakening. With the counsel of National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski, a Soviet expert , Carter exploited these weaknesses. During his presidency, Carter insisted nations provide basic freedoms for their people – a moral weapon against which repressive leaders could not defend. Carter soon openly criticized the Soviets for denying Russian Jews their basic civil rights , a violation of human rights protections outlined in the diplomatic agreement called the Helsinki Accords . Carter’s team underscored these violations in arms control talks. The CIA flooded the USSR with books and articles to incite human rights activism. And Carter publicly supported Russian dissidents – including pro-democracy activist Andrei Sakharov – who were fighting an ideological war against socialist leaders. Carter adviser Stuart Eizenstat argues that the administration attacked the Soviets “in their most vulnerable spot – mistreatment of their own citizens.” This proved effective in sparking Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev’s social and political reforms of the late 1980s, best known by the Russian word “glasnost ,” or “openness.” The Afghan invasion In December 1979, the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in response to the assassination of the Soviet-backed Afghan leader, Nur Mohammad Taraki. The invasion effectively ended an existing détente between the U.S. and USSR. Beginning in July 1979, the U.S. was providing advice and nonlethal supplies to the mujahideen rebelling against the Soviet-backed regime. After the invasion, National Security Advisor Brzezinski advised Carter to respond aggressively to it. So the CIA and U.S. allies delivered weapons to the mujahideen, a program later expanded under Reagan. Carter’s move effectively engaged the Soviets in a proxy war that began to bleed the Soviet Union. By providing the rebels with modern weapons, the U.S. was “giving to the USSR its Vietnam war,” according to Brzezinski : a progressively expensive war, a strain on the socialist economy and an erosion of their authority abroad. Carter also imposed an embargo on U.S. grain sales to the Soviets in 1980. Agriculture was the USSR’s greatest economic weakness since the 1960s. The country’s unfavorable weather and climate contributed to successive poor growing seasons, and their heavy industrial development left the agricultural sector underfunded . Economist Elizabeth Clayton concluded in 1985 that Carter’s embargo was effective in exacerbating this weakness. Census data compiled between 1959 and 1979 show that 54 million people were added to the Soviet population. Clayton estimates that 2 to 3 million more people were added in each subsequent year. The Soviets were overwhelmed by the population boom and struggled to feed their people. At the same time, Clayton found that monthly wages increased, which led to an increased demand for meat. But by 1985, there was a meat shortage in the USSR. Why? Carter’s grain embargo, although ended by Reagan in 1981, had a lasting impact on livestock feed that resulted in Russian farmers decreasing livestock production . The embargo also forced the Soviets to pay premium prices for grain from other countries, nearly 25 percent above market prices . For years, Soviet leaders promised better diets and health , but now their people had less food. The embargo battered a weak socialist economy and created another layer of instability for the growing population. The Olympic boycott In 1980, Carter pushed further to punish the Soviets. He convinced the U.S. Olympic Committee to refrain from competing in the upcoming Moscow Olympics while the Soviets repressed their people and occupied Afghanistan. Carter not only promoted a boycott, but he also embargoed U.S. technology and other goods needed to produce the Olympics. He also stopped NBC from paying the final US$20 million owed to the USSR to broadcast the Olympics. China, Germany, Canada and Japan – superpowers of sport – also participated in the boycott. Historian Allen Guttmann said, “The USSR lost a significant amount of international legitimacy on the Olympic question.” Dissidents relayed to Carter that the boycott was another jab at Soviet leadership. And in America, public opinion supported Carter’s bold move – 73% of Americans favored the boycott . The Carter doctrine In his 1980 State of the Union address, Carter revealed an aggressive Cold War military plan. He declared a “ Carter doctrine ,” which said that the Soviets’ attempt to gain control of Afghanistan, and possibly the region, was regarded as a threat to U.S. interests. And Carter was prepared to meet the threat with “ military force .” Carter also announced in his speech a five-year spending initiative to modernize and strengthen the military because he recognized the post-Vietnam military cuts weakened the U.S. against the USSR. Ronald Reagan argued during the 1980 presidential campaign that, “Jimmy Carter risks our national security – our credibility – and damages American purposes by sending timid and even contradictory signals to the Soviet Union.” Carter’s policy was based on “weakness and illusion” and should be replaced “with one founded on improved military strength,” Reagan criticized. In 1985, however, President Reagan publicly acknowledged that his predecessor demonstrated great timing in modernizing and strengthening the nation’s forces, which further increased economic and diplomatic pressure on the Soviets. Reagan admitted that he felt “very bad” for misstating Carter’s policies and record on defense. Carter is most lauded today for his post-presidency activism , public service and defending human rights. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for such efforts. But that praise leaves out a significant portion of Carter’s presidential accomplishments. His foreign policy, emphasizing human rights, was a key instrument in dismantling the power of the Soviet Union. This is an updated version of a story that was originally published on May 2, 2019. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/jimmy-carters-lasting-cold-war-legacy-his-human-rights-focus-helped-dismantle-the-soviet-union-113994 .