The 45th Mountain Cat Tournament will include eight area high school basketball teams in both boys and girls competition Thursday through Saturday at the Pitt-Johnstown Sports Center. The first girls four-team event will include Berlin Brothersvalley, Bishop McCort Catholic, Forest Hills and Windber. The boys bracket includes Berlin Brothersvalley, Conemaugh Township, Forest Hills and Turkeyfoot Valley. Thursday’s schedule features two girls games, with Forest Hills and Windber playing at 6 p.m., and Berlin Brothersvalley and Bishop McCort Catholic playing at 7:30. On Friday, the boys first-round games include Conemaugh Township and Turkeyfoot Valley at 6 p.m., and Berlin Brothersvalley and Forest Hills at 7:30. Saturday’s schedule includes a pair of consolation contests – the girls play at 2 p.m. and boys at 3:30 – and the two championship games – girls at 5 p.m. and boys at 7. (c)2024 The Tribune-Democrat (Johnstown, Pa.) Visit The Tribune-Democrat (Johnstown, Pa.) at www.tribune-democrat.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

A Biden official appears to be signaling support for key parts of Robert F. Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again agenda on his way out the door. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Robert Califf voiced support for several MAHA priorities to incentivize healthy eating and eliminate harmful ingredients from the nation’s food supply during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing on Dec. 5. Califf and Senate lawmakers zeroed in on the role processed foods play in contributing to the nation’s growing chronic disease and obesity epidemics, a bipartisan concern Kennedy brought to the top of voters’ minds while on the campaign trail. (RELATED: RFK’s Calls To Ban One Of Big Pharma’s Most Powerful Tools Rattle Drugmakers Despite Uncertain Political Prospects) “What’s going on here is that the food industry has figured out that there’s a combination of sweet carbohydrates and salt that goes to our brains — and I think it’s addictive,” Califf told lawmakers during the hearing. “ I think it’s the same neural circuits that are involved in opioid addiction and other kinds of addiction that we have.” 🚩 FDA Commissioner Robert Califf Says Ultra-Processed Foods are Engineered to Be Addictive, GLP-1 Drugs Interrupt That Craving ‘Circuit’ “What’s going on here is that the food industry has figured out that there’s a combination of sweet, carbohydrate, and salt that goes to our... pic.twitter.com/ORLjYM0Gkb — Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) December 8, 2024 “If you’ve ever tried to eat one potato chip, it’s almost impossible. There’s a reason for this,” Califf added. Califf and lawmakers’ recognition of the potential harms to human health posed by processed foods, seen in their discussions on banning artificial food dyes and limiting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to healthy foods during the Senate hearing, points to the growing momentum of Trump and Kennedy’s MAHA agenda that lawmakers on Capitol Hill are also getting behind. “Sen. Tuberville is a long-time fan of RFK Jr.’s health agenda and is 100% supportive of his efforts, along with President Trump, to Make America Healthy Again,” a spokesperson for Republican Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who sits on the Senate HELP Committee, told the Daily Caller News Foundation in a statement. Califf and his counterpart, FDA deputy commissioner for human foods Jim Jones, told lawmakers that the agency will decide on a petition to order a nationwide ban of Red Dye 3, an artificial food dye under scrutiny from Kennedy and MAHA activists, in the coming weeks. The FDA banned Red Dye 3 for use in cosmetics and skincare products in 1990 after scientific studies revealed the synthetic dye caused cancer in laboratory animals, but has defended the synthetic dye as safe to ingest. “Red [Dye No.] 3 has been known to cause cancer [when used in] cosmetics, but we still allow it to be put into our food. I don’t understand that,” Tuberville told Califf during the hearing. Time to hold the FDA accountable for this madness. There’s no red #3 allowed in my lipstick, but it’s allowed to be served to cancer patients (Ensure) and children (Nesquick). https://t.co/H84G9C6SyW — Vani Hari (@thefoodbabe) December 6, 2024 Democratic New Jersey Rep. Frank Pallone, ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, published a letter on Dec. 5 calling on the FDA to ban Red Dye 3 from the food supply. “There is simply no reason for this chemical to be in our food except to entice and mislead consumers by changing the color of their food so it looks more appealing,” Pallone wrote. The color additive, made from petroleum to give food and beverages a bright cherry red color, is used in thousands of U.S. food products, including Halloween candy , certain brands of saffron rice and mashed potatoes . The Biden administration is rushing to ban indefensible and neurodegenerative food colorings before the term ends. All credit should be going to @realDonaldTrump and @RobertKennedyJr for bringing these no-brainer health issues to top of national agenda. In addition to... https://t.co/Pprq6JKyOE — Calley Means (@calleymeans) December 7, 2024 Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation in October 2023 to ban Red Dye 3 and other food additives linked to cancer last year, making California the first state in the country to ban the synthetic dye. The European Union, Australia, New Zealand and Japan have banned Red Dye 3 for food use with some of these countries carving out exceptions for its use in cherry products, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an advocacy organization petitioning the FDA to ban the synthetic dye. Kennedy has described these synthetic dyes as “chemical poisons.” Though the FDA considers these artificial ingredients safe to ingest, many have been linked to cancer and hyperactivity and behavioral issues in children, according to an array of scientific studies. “If just one of them [color additives] can cause all these problems, imagine what they’re doing in combination,” Kennedy said in a video posted to X on Sept. 25. “If we took all of these chemicals out, our nation would get healthier immediately.” “President Trump and I are going to stop the mass poisoning of American children.” Dr. Marty Makary, Trump’s nominee to lead the FDA, has echoed Kennedy’s concerns about the dangers of food additives contributing to the nation’s chronic disease epidemic. “We’ve got food dyes, some of which cause anxiety and depression. The body is reacting with an inflammation that is constant makes people feel sick,” Makary told Fox Business on Oct. 2. “We’ve got to talk about our poisoned food supply.” Makary’s skepticism on the safety of the 36 FDA-approved color additives in the food supply, some of which are either prohibited or require a warning label in other countries, could lead the FDA to reexamine the potential harms of these artificial ingredients in the food supply under his tenure, which would likely garner support from lawmakers. “Scientific studies that have integrity will have to guide future actions,” Republican Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson told the DCNF in a statement in response to whether the FDA should reevaluate the health risks of artificial food ingredients. “Returning integrity to research should be the top priority.” A Tuberville spokesperson told the DCNF the Alabama Republican would be supportive of banning additional color additives if the FDA determines they are dangerous to human health. Califf also voiced support for limiting SNAP benefits to healthy foods during the Senate hearing, a top priority on Kennedy and MAHA activists’ agenda during the second Trump administration. Roughly one in eight Americans use SNAP to pay for groceries, leading to the U.S. government subsidizing billions in junk food and soda purchases annually despite more than 40% of Americans being obese. Nearly 25% of SNAP spending goes toward junk food and roughly 10% of all SNAP purchases are for soda — the largest commodity purchased by SNAP users — according to a 2016 USDA study. ( RELATED: Trump, RFK Jr’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ Pledge Signals Major Shift In GOP Priorities ) “There’s also some evidence to suggest that even in the same neighborhood, families that use SNAP benefits versus those who don’t, the SNAP benefit purchases are generally less healthy than those who don’t use SNAP benefits,” Democratic Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine told Califf during the hearing. Califf agreed, telling lawmakers that reforming SNAP benefits “would be one of the most important things” the federal government could do to combat the obesity and chronic disease epidemics. “The U.S. government has the purchasing power, so why not purchase healthy food,” Califf added. Kennedy, MAHA activists and some Republican lawmakers’ push to end SNAP benefits for processed foods could face opposition from agriculture interests and major food corporations whose processed food products receive billions of dollars in annual SNAP purchases. Republican Oklahoma Rep. Josh Brecheen has introduced legislation to exclude soda and junk food from SNAP purchases, but the bill has not cleared the House Agriculture Committee. Brecheen plans to reintroduce the legislation during the upcoming Congress, which could be more receptive to reforming SNAP given Kennedy’s prior advocacy on the issue. “Isn’t it time to reevaluate whether taxpayers should be required to fund these products through SNAP, given their detrimental health effects,” Brecheen told the DCNF in a statement. “ If someone wants to buy junk food on their own dime, that’s up to them. But what we’re saying is, don’t ask the taxpayer to pay for it and then also expect the taxpayer to pick up the tab for the resulting health consequences.” That’s why our office is planning on reintroducing the Healthy SNAP Act next year to address the obesity epidemic and rein in reckless spending. American taxpayer dollars should not be spent on junk foods that provide no nutritional value to our citizens. @calleymeans https://t.co/pjKV5dLlhd — Congressman Josh Brecheen (@RepBrecheen) December 4, 2024 Kennedy and MAHA activists efforts to curtail SNAP benefits for processed foods could also face obstacles given his distance from the center of food policy within the federal bureaucracy. Though Trump promised to let Kennedy “go wild on food” while on the campaign trail, Kennedy’s nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services places him outside the agency responsible for administering SNAP and writing dietary guidelines: the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Brooke Rollins, Trump’s nominee to lead the USDA, does not appear to have taken a position on reforming SNAP benefits. The Trump-Vance transition team did not respond to the DCNF’s request for comment about whether the incoming administration is planning to crack down on artificial food dyes and reform SNAP benefits. A Kennedy spokesperson also did not respond to requests for comment. All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

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Christian vote, especially Catholics, critical to Trump's historic winOn Dec. 11, President-elect Donald Trump announced in a Truth Social post that he has tapped Kari Lake to serve as the next director of Voice of America. Lake was a television news anchor in Phoenix for nearly three decades until she left in 2021 after making a series of controversial statements on social media, including sharing COVID-19 misinformation during the pandemic. She launched her political career a short time later, quickly building a following and national profile as she sparred with journalists and echoed Trump in her sharp criticism of what she called the “fake news.” She ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for Arizona governor in 2022 and Arizona Senator in 2024. After Trump’s announcement, many people on social media claimed they’d never heard of Voice of America before. Others asked if Trump created a new organization and position just for Lake. Recent search trends also show that “What is Voice of America?” is spiking online. THE QUESTION Is Voice of America a new government organization? THE SOURCES Voice of America U.S. Agency for Global Media U.S. Law 94-350 THE ANSWER No, Voice of America is not a new government organization. Sign up for the VERIFY Fast Facts daily Newsletter! WHAT WE FOUND Voice of America is not new. It’s a U.S. government-funded international multimedia news organization that was founded in the 1940s. Voice of America started in 1942 as a radio broadcaster to “combat Nazi propaganda with accurate and unbiased news and information.” Congress funds the organization through the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which is a federal agency that oversees all non-military U.S. international broadcasting. Congress passed a law establishing the organization in 1976. According to Voice of America’s congressional charter , the organization is required to present objective, independent news and information to international audiences. These are the principles that govern all Voice of America broadcasts: VOA will serve as a consistently reliable and authoritative source of news. VOA news will be accurate, objective, and comprehensive. VOA will represent America, not any single segment of American society, and will therefore present a balanced and comprehensive projection of significant American thought and institutions. VOA will present the policies of the United States clearly and effectively, and will also present responsible discussions and opinion on these policies. Since it was founded more than 80 years ago, Voice of America has expanded to online, social and television platforms to share U.S. policy-centric content around the world. The organization currently broadcasts to an estimated weekly global audience of more than 354 million people in nearly 50 languages. Although Trump says he wants Lake to lead Voice of America, that role is actually appointed by the head of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which is a position appointed by the president that requires congressional confirmation. Trump said on Dec. 11 that he plans to announce his nomination for the head of the U.S. Agency for Global Media soon. The Associated Press contributed to this report .

France's toppled government adds to the European Union's bigger political problems

NASSAU, Bahamas — Scottie Scheffler brought a new putting grip to the Hero World Challenge and felt enough improvement to be satisfied with the result, a 5-under 67 that left him three shots behind Cameron Young on Thursday. Young was playing for the first time since the BMW Championship more than three months ago and found great success on and around the greens of Albany Golf Club, chipping beautifully and holing four birdie putts from 15 feet or longer for his 64. He led by two shots over Justin Thomas in his first competition since his daughter was born a few weeks ago. Thomas ran off four straight birdies late in his round and was a fraction of an inch away with a fifth. The big surprise was Scheffler, the No. 1 player in golf who looked as good as he has all year in compiling eight victories, including an Olympic gold medal. His iron play has no equal. His putting at times has kept him from winning more or winning bigger. He decided to try to a "saw" putting grip from about 20 feet or closer — the putter rests between his right thumb and his fingers, with his left index finger pointed down the shaft. "I'm always looking for ways to improve," Scheffler said. Scheffler last year began working with renowned putting instructor Phil Kenyon, and he says Kenyon mentioned the alternative putting grip back then. "But it was really our first time working together and it's something that's different than what I've done in the past," Scheffler said. "This year I had thought about it from time to time, and it was something that we had just said let's table that for the end of the season, take a look at it. "Figured this is a good week to try stuff." He opened with a wedge to 2 feet and he missed a 7-foot birdie putt on the par-5 third. But he holed a birdie from about the same distance at the next par 5, No. 6, and holed a sliding 6-footer on the ninth to save par. His longest putt was his last hole, from 12 feet for a closing birdie. "I really enjoyed the way it felt," he said. "I felt like I'm seeing some improvements in my stroke." Young, regarded as the best active player without a PGA Tour victory, is treating this holiday tournament as the start of a new season. He worked on getting stronger and got back to the basics in his powerful golf swing. And on this day, he was dialed in with his short game. He only struggled to save par twice and kept piling up birdies in his bogey-free round on an ideal day in the Bahamas. "The wind wasn't blowing much so it was relatively stress-free," Young said. Patrick Cantlay, along with Scheffler playing for the first time since the Presidents Cup, also was at 67 with Ludvig Aberg, Akshay Bhatia and Sahith Theegala. Thomas also took this occasion to do a little experimenting against a 20-man field. He has using a 46-inch driver at home — a little more than an inch longer than his regular driver — in a bid to gain more speed. On a day with little wind, on a golf course with some room off the tee, he decided to put it in play. "Just with it being a little bit longer, I just kind of have to get the club out in front of me and get on top of it a little bit more," Thomas said. "I drove the hell out of it on the back, so that was nice to try something different and have it go a little bit better on the back." Thomas said the longer driver gives him 2 or 3 mph in ball speed and 10 extra yards in the air. "It's very specific for courses, but gave it a try," he said. Conditions were easy enough that only four players in field failed to break par, with Jason Day bringing up the rear with a 75. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Umanmielen, who spent three years at Florida before transferring to Ole Miss, left the stadium with a number of officers surrounding him. And the defensive end still tried to get at heckling fans. It started when Umanmielen left the sideline in the waning seconds of a 24-17 loss to the Gators . He was walking toward the visiting locker room when at least one fan yelled at him from the stands. Umanmielen clearly didn't like what he heard and made his way toward the seats. Officers quickly stepped in and escorted Umanmielen back toward the locker room. They then walked him directly to the team's waiting busses, but more fans were in the path and shouted at him again. Umanmielen turned and started toward the fans before officers stepped in and stopped him. It was the latest bit of oddness for Umanmielen, who wore an orange Gators ski mask through Ole Miss' practice facility late in the week. He finished the game with seven tackles, including a sack. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballHow Every Country Can Halve Premature Death by 2050

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Nebraska has landed a commitment from Missouri transfer defensive end Williams Nwaneri , a source confirmed to ESPN. The five-star true freshman is the No. 5 player in ESPN's transfer rankings and will have four seasons of eligibility remaining when he joins the Huskers. Nwaneri's commitment is a significant recruiting victory for Matt Rhule and his program as they look to continue building on a 6-6 season in Rhule's second year and Nebraska's first bowl game appearance since 2016. Editor's Picks College football transfer portal rankings: Stacking the top 50 players on the move 59m Max Olson The 6-foot-7, 255-pound pass rusher from Lee's Summit North High School in Missouri was the No. 21 overall player in the ESPN 300 for 2024 and chose the in-state Tigers over Oklahoma and Georgia during his high school recruitment. Nwaneri played sparingly and redshirted during his true freshman season at Missouri, playing 38 snaps over four games with two tackles and a sack in a win over UMass. He officially entered the transfer portal Thursday morning. Rhule hired Nwaneri's former high school coach, Jamar Mozee, as a senior analyst this summer. Mozee's son, ESPN 300 wide receiver recruit Isaiah Mozee, also signed with the Huskers earlier this month after flipping his commitment from Oregon. Nebraska finished with a top-20 scoring defense in Rhule's second season but recently lost defensive coordinator Tony White to Florida State. Rhule has since promoted secondary coach John Buter to DC and hired his former longtime coordinator Phil Snow as the Huskers' new associate head coach. The Huskers will face Boston College in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 28 with an opportunity to snap a seven-year streak of losing seasons. Nwaneri's decision was first reported by On3.

VICTORIA — A Vancouver Island First Nation whose people were the first to greet European explorers in the region almost 250 years ago is taking British Columbia to court, seeking title to its traditional territories and financial compensation. The Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation filed a claim Thursday in B.C. Supreme Court seeking a return of decision-making, resource and ecological stewardship, said Chief Mike Maquinna, a descendent of the former Chief Maquinna who met British explorer Capt. James Cook in 1776. Crown-authorized forest industry activities approved by the province without the consent of the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation have resulted in cultural, economic and environmental impacts, he said at a news conference on Thursday. "Our people, the Mowachaht/Muchalaht, have endured many hardships since first meeting Capt. Cook, who was the explorer who first came into our territory," said Maquinna. "As a result of the explorations of our territory, the natural resources of our lands have been taken. We want to correct rights and wrongs here and hopefully as time goes on this will show that Mowachaht/Muchalaht has been infringed upon since time of contact." Capt. Cook and Chief Maquinna met in March 1776 at the traditional Mowachaht/Muchalaht whale-hunting village of Yuquot, later named Friendly Cove by Cook. The Parks Canada website says Yuquot was designated a national historic site in 1923 as the ancestral home of the First Nation, which was continuously occupied for more than 4,300 years and the centre of their social, political and economic world. The Parks Canada website says the village became the capital for all 17 tribes of the Nootka Sound region. Maquinna said the province has been acting as the sole decision-making authority in the Gold River-Tahsis areas of northern Vancouver Island, especially with regards to the forest resource, without the consent of his nation. Hereditary Chief Jerry Jack said the claim seeks title to about 430,000 hectares of land on the northwest coast of Vancouver Island and an amount of financial compensation to be determined by the court. "It is common knowledge we were here long before Capt. Cook and now we have to go to court and definitively prove that," he said. "I don't like that we have to prove that we owned it before he showed up to my territory, to my beach." The land title case does not make any claims against private land owners, homeowners or recreational hunting and fishing operators, said Jack. Premier David Eby said the B.C. government prefers negotiated land-claims settlements rather than become involved in lengthy, expensive court cases, but the Mowachaht/Muchalaht have the right to take that route. "We have no problem with them doing that," he said at an unrelated news conference in Langley. "We'd rather sit down and find a path forward." The 15-page notice of claim seeks declarations that the First Nation has Aboriginal title to its lands and that B.C.'s Forest Act and Land Act will no longer apply to Mowachaht/Muchalaht lands once title is declared. Jack said the nation decided against pursuing formal treaty talks with the federal and provincial government years ago and has been planning the land title court case "for many decades." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 12, 2024. Dirk Meissner, The Canadian Press

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