haha 777 casino login Guest Opinion: The wrong way to fight climate changeA new report made in consultation with people who use drugs calls for federal decriminalization, expanded access to overdose prevention sites and several other measures designed to mitigate and eventually end the toxic drug crisis. Seven calls for action are laid out by the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, which over three years held 13 public consultations. The coalition said nearly 800 people were included in the meetings. Beeta Senedjani, the coalition's community policy and network co-ordinator, hopes the report will provide Canadians — and, crucially, policy makers — insight into the damage the crisis and a lack of available services are inflicting on communities. “I believe that in terms of the general public, there's a misunderstanding that what is happening is an increase in substance use, whereas really it’s the supply that's creating such devastating consequences. That's a nuance that I think is not fully understood.” The toxic drug supply, poisoned by an influx of fentanyl, has killed over 15,000 British Columbians since the provincial government declared a crisis in 2016, as well as over 47,000 Canadians. Data released by Statistics Canada on Dec. 4 shows in 2023, followed by Alberta and Saskatchewan. But the coalition's report also comes as federal and provincial governments backtrack from programs meant to confront the crisis. The B.C. NDP ended its decriminalization pilot program due to public outcry, and last month closed the addictions ministry while making the crisis the responsibility of . Premier David Eby has also by former chief coroner Lisa Lapointe to add non-prescription drugs to its safe supply program. A has led to the closure of social sites such as Nelson's Coordinated Access Hub earlier this year. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has also promised to end funding for safe supply programs in favour of expanded treatment facilities if he is elected prime minister in next year's federal election. Senedjani criticized the politicization of the drug crisis. The coalition's report, she said, offers evidence instead of rhetoric. “Whenever the most marginalized people in our community are being targeted by politicians, we need to ask ourselves why, and really look at that with a critical view, because usually it's not in our best interest as a collective.” The report features 87 recommendations under seven calls to action. They include: 1. The collection of disaggregated statistics for drug fatalities and hospitalizations to better show how the crisis is impacting diverse communities such as Indigenous, African, Caribbean and Black peoples. Senedjani said current reporting typically focuses on age and gender, and doesn't include more specific demographics for communities that can be used to show how they are being impacted by the crisis in ways that differ from the rest of Canada. 2. Expansion of access to harm reduction services, which are designed for public use and don't feature specialized supports for racialized, Indigenous or LGBTQ2 peoples. Vancouver's SisterSpace, an overdose prevention site exclusive to women, is a model for how other services might cater to certain demographics. “We don't want to then further marginalize people who have multiple marginalized identities in being able to access services that are already so hard to access.” 3. Decriminalization of all criminal penalties for substance use. Senedjani said feedback heard during the consultations included people who were unable to receive healthcare because they had been labelled as seeking drugs by medical professionals, which also dismissed the validity of their health concerns. 4. The displacement of the toxic drugs with increased access to safe supply that includes drugs of known content and dosage. B.C.'s safe supply program distributes pharmaceutical opioids, which have been criticized as ineffective substitutes for alternatives such as lab-tested heroin. “We need to think about alternatives, and we need to think about ways to make this make sense and have this meet the needs of the devastating issue that we're facing today.” 5. Meaningful consultation, and compensation, with people who use drugs when developing policy. As an example, Senedjani referred to Reclaim Collection, an advocacy group made up of people with lived experience. 6. Expanded affordable housing availability as well as a more diverse range of options for people in need of services. Senedjani said the drug and housing crises in Canada are intertwined. “I think that people as individuals are being blamed for a housing crisis and a toxic drug crisis, when really these are structural, systemic issues that are happening clean across the country, and they require work at the same time on both of those prongs in order to improve social wellness and improve our communities well across the country.” 7. Expanded harm reduction services in housing and shelter settings. The consultations heard from shelter workers who were traumatized by finding people poisoned to death by drugs at their facilities. Senedjani said Toronto's Integrated Prevention and Harm Reduction Initiative, which was designed to address drug deaths in city shelters by including supervised consumption and mental health case management, is a model that other municipalities should consider. “It's important for shelter providers to look at developing proper harm reduction policies, because whether they like it or not it's going to happen, and so they might as well make it safe for everyone involved, including the person accessing the service and the people who are supporting them and trying to do their jobs in a in a proper way.”

In classic form, the Indianapolis Colts failed to win a game when it mattered most. All the Colts had to do was defeat the New York Giants — a team vying for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. For the second season in a row, however, they failed to stay in playoff competition by losing to a team that hadn't recorded a home win all season. A team that was on a 10-game losing streak. Without Anthony Richardson (back), who continues to deal with injuries throughout his second season, the Colts leaned on Joe Flacco, who finished the game with 330 yards and two touchdowns to go along with three total turnovers. The Colts defense gave up 38 points in total while the special teams unit allowed a 100-yard kickoff return to Ihmir Smith-Marsette to open the third quarter. With this loss, the Colts are officially eliminated from playoff contention and will miss the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. This loss could be the final straw for general manager Chris Ballard, who simply hasn't done enough to propel the Colts further than being a team of mediocrity. What the ultimate decision will be when it comes to the fates of general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen remains to be seen, but the argument for their firings is getting stronger with this loss.U.S. Senate demands hearings"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.

Dell Technologies who were slammed recently by one of Australia’s top reviewers of notebooks has seen their shares fell sharply after the US PC maker delivered a slump in revenues. Consumer revenue fell 18% to US$2B as the Company struggled to deliver new cutting-edge notebooks. Dell stock was down more than 11% in after-hours trading following the report having fallen 24.9% during the past six months. Revenue was hurt by a performance in the company’s client solutions group, which includes PCs and laptops, saw revenue fall 1% to $12.1B year-on-year in Looking ahead to the fourth quarter, Dell forecast revenue between $24 billion and $25 billion, missing the average analyst projection of $25.57 billion, according to LSEG data. Commenting on the report, Deutsche Bank analysts believe Dell’s weaker Q4 guide comes mainly due to delays in AI server sales and PC refresh activity. Nick Ross a leading reviewer of PC’s the owner of ‘High Performance Laptops web site, recently called for a boycott of Dell and Alienware claiming that the Companies actions “Almost killed him.” His comments kicked off a debate about how PR Companies are paid to milk exposure from tech writers and tech media sites in an effort to get a favourable review or story without any contribution “or very little” contribution to the originators of the content. And when they don’t like a story, or a negative review believe that ‘black banning” a media organisation’ actually works when in reality the pen is mightier than the sword as Dell is finding out after Ross called for a boycott of the big PC brand. The slump in Dell stock and the fall in consumer PC revenue follows the exit of Dells Alienware range from JB Hi Fi. Both Dell Technologies and HP are forecasting lower-than-expected earnings for the current quarter, due in part to lack of demand for AI notebooks which are being sold at a premium price. The shares of both companies have fallen on average 12%, while pacing what would be HP’s worst day in more than three years. Yesterday HP’s shares dipped to just over $34, putting the stock on track for its worst loss since March 2020, when shares fell by more than 14% in a single day. Dell—whose fourth quarter began Nov. 2—expects revenue to fall between $24 billion and $25 billion with adjusted earnings of $2.50 per share, below the $25.5 billion in revenue and $2.65 per share in earnings projected by analysts, according to FactSet. Meanwhile, HP projected earnings per share to fall between 70 cents and 76 cents for a first quarter that started Nov. 1, compared to the 85 cents per share projected by analysts. The AI market is a “robust opportunity” for Dell with “no signs of slowing down,” Jeff Clarke, Dell’s COO, said in the company’s report, though he noted on Wednesday that Dell’s AI business “will not be linear” as customers navigate a “changing” market. HP personal systems, which includes personal computers which makes up the bulk of overall growth, saw net revenue rise 9% to US$11.5B year over year. Printing net revenue rose 1% to $4.5B, while personal systems revenue rose 2% to $9.6B in Q4 year on year. Bernstein analysts said HP’s guidance pointed “to an unusually back-half loaded year, which appears predicated on continued strong IPG margins and strong PC growth/upgrade cycle.” “We don’t have high conviction in either and end up slightly below the midpoint of HPQ’s guidance range,” analysts led by Toni Sacconaghi commented. Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) analysts voiced similar comments, noting that an in-line full-year guide and a sub-seasonal Q1 outlook “means 2025 will be more back-half loaded than ever before.”

Steve Bannon held his microphone out to the crowd. “Should (Mike) Johnson be speaker of the House?” he asked. “Nooo,” came the reply, as Bannon, the longtime ally of Republican President-elect Donald Trump, spoke at a Dec. 19 “AmericaFest” rally of Turning Point USA, a right-wing advocacy organization. Bannon, who said at the event that Johnson “has got to go,” spoke in Phoenix as the U.S. House debated an end-of-session spending package. Congress ultimately passed a Johnson-endorsed, stopgap funding bill signed by Democratic President Joe Biden on Dec. 21 to avert a government shutdown ahead of the holidays. But Bannon’s remarks foretold likely challenges to Johnson. As the opening of the new Congress approaches on Friday, Johnson’s leadership is being questioned by, among others, Maryland Rep. Andy Harris, who heads the House Freedom Caucus, and Pennsylvania Rep. Scott Perry, who previously led the hard-line conservative group. Neither will commit to backing the Louisiana Republican. The speaker will help determine whether Trump can succeed on an agenda that includes policy shifts on taxes, voting and border policy. Underlying the GOP’s turmoil is how closely it should work with Democrats, if at all, particularly on spending issues. “The political class is infected with a malignant cancer. That cancer is bipartisanship, right?” Bannon told the crowd. Johnson, he said, “doesn’t have what we call the right stuff, right? That combination of guts and moxie and savvy and toughness.” Bannon, who previously served four months in prison for defying a congressional subpoena, is awaiting trial in a case alleging he was part of a scheme to dupe donors who contributed to help build a wall on the Mexican border. Other Republicans have also questioned Johnson’s leadership. Sen. Rand Paul, the Kentucky Republican, recently floated a proposal to elect billionaire Elon Musk, a Trump adviser and ally, as speaker. The speaker is not required to be an elected House member. The election will occur after the new Congress assumes office on Jan. 3. “Nothing would disrupt the swamp more than electing Elon Musk,” Paul posted on X. “Think about it ... nothing’s impossible. (not to mention the joy at seeing the collective establishment, aka ‘uniparty,’ lose their ever-lovin’ minds).” As Congress raced to avoid a shutdown before Christmas, Musk was instrumental in sinking an earlier spending proposal by House Republicans — Democrats also backed it — to head off a government shutdown. The package contained about $100 billion in disaster aid, including a federal commitment long sought by Maryland lawmakers to pay the full cost of replacing the Francis Scott Key Bridge following its March collapse. Musk, citing a pay increase for Congress among other objections, attacked the bill on X, his social media platform, calling it “dead.” Johnson, who has supported Trump, then pitched the alternative that was ultimately approved. He needed a deal acceptable not only to most Republicans but also to Democrats, whose votes were required because the GOP majority was so slim. The final package included the Key Bridge funding commitment but neither the pay raise nor a Trump proposal to suspend the debt ceiling — the amount the government can borrow. Republicans won a “trifecta” — control of the White House, House and Senate — in the November elections, and Trump has claimed a broad mandate for such proposals as mass deportation and reducing the civil service workforce. But his party has split among hard-line spending watchdogs and those more prone to work with Democrats on shared priorities. Among those repeatedly protesting spending levels are Florida Republican Rep. Byron Donalds and Harris, the only Republican in Maryland’s congressional delegation; his district includes Harford County, the Eastern Shore and a piece of Baltimore County. Harris chairs the Freedom Caucus, a group that has focused on fiscal conservatism since its inception. Donalds recently posted on X: “It’s time to clean house. It’s time to slash spending & cut debt.” Harris also expressed concerns during the recent negotiations, saying in a written statement that he believed the Key Bridge replacement should be funded, “but with a $2 trillion-dollar annual deficit left from the Biden administration, we should look to offset any cost with savings elsewhere.” Harris did not respond to correspondence seeking comment on Friday. The party was similarly divided in 2023 when its far-right voting bloc expressed dissatisfaction with former Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California, saying he had not forcefully resisted the Democratic agenda. Johnson, who replaced McCarthy, said at the time that he would emphasize bringing up individual spending bills instead of putting funding measures into a large package as executive branch spending authority is about to run out. But Congress needed such stopgap bills in September and again on Dec. 21 to fund the government in three-month increments. ©2024 Baltimore Sun. Visit baltimoresun.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

This week comes with the last payment of the month for all Americans who qualify for SSDI checks from the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program, which will reach beneficiaries within hours. These disability benefits from Social Security offer insured people whose conditions meet a tight and limited definition of disability a monthly income. It’s crucial to understand that “insured” does not relate to your position as a Medicare, Medicaid, or other health coverage provider. It indicates that you have worked for a sufficient amount of time and lately enough to have contributed to Social Security. Payroll taxes are the source of funding for the SSDI program. Based on a report from The Kaiser Family Foundation, in 2021, over 8.3 million adults, or 4.1% of the US population aged 18 to 64, received SSDI checks. SSDI checks will reach millions of disabled people’s bank accounts within hours When discussing the development of SSDI checks, which was initially put into effect in July 1956, designers purposefully drew tight lines around what constitutes a “disability.” This is due to their desire to eliminate applicants who were able to work but were unemployed as a result of the Great Depression. According to the original planners, a qualifying disability was defined as a physical or mental handicap that consistently prevents the disabled person from engaging in any significant, profitable work, which is likely to persist throughout the individual’s lifetime. Even though that definition has changed a bit over the past fifty years, its essence remains the same. You have to be living with a total impairment to qualify for impairment insurance or SSDI checks today. In other words, this means that beneficiaries health conditions should: To put it simply, a qualifying impairment is one that considerably impairs your capacity to perform fundamental work-related tasks like lifting, standing, walking, sitting, or remembering for a minimum of 12 months. Although the Social Security Administration keeps a list of qualifying requirements , it’s crucial to remember that every situation is unique. You will be assisted in determining your eligibility by a representative from your state’s Social Security office. Additionally, surviving spouses, divorced spouses, children of deceased SSDI beneficiaries, and those who are blind or have impaired eyesight are subject to specific regulations. How does the Social Security Administration schedule SSDI checks nowadays? Each month, the SSA schedules four rounds of SSDI checks for eligible recipients who meet all disability requirements. To start, and according to the Social Security payment schedule , disabled people will get their SSDI checks on the following dates: Can beneficiaries receive any more benefits besides SSDI checks? Most people who receive Social Security Disability Insurance benefits are eligible for Medicare insurance coverage 24 months later. Additionally, you might qualify for other important financial assistance programs, like SNAP benefits, which can assist with paying for household utilities, prescription drugs, food, and other expenses.In her iconic song "Big Yellow Taxi," an obvious lament about American presidents who have been underappreciated while in office only to finally be given their due with time's passage, famed presidential historian Joni Mitchell wondered, "Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone?" Professor Mitchell clearly foresaw C-SPAN's Presidential Historians Survey, a periodic survey of historians on presidential leadership asked to rank past presidents on the basis of 10 criteria. The survey illustrates how presidents who leave office with their popularity in tatters are given high marks once the hurly-burly of political combat has receded and facts can be properly assessed. For instance, Harry Truman, whose popularity by 1952 was so low that he opted not to run for reelection rather than be rejected at the polls, was ranked sixth highest among the presidents in the most recent survey. Lyndon Johnson, so unpopular in his own party in 1968 that he withdrew from the race for the Democratic nomination shortly after being humiliated in the New Hampshire primary, is ranked 11th based on his prodigious record of passing civil rights legislation. In just four weeks, a bruised and depleted Joe Biden will go home to Delaware. Though he has remained president for constitutional purposes since Nov. 5, his presence, if you can call it that, has been largely unfelt for months. On a recent presidential trip to Africa, he said virtually nothing to the press, looking and sounding more like Calvin Coolidge than the voluble Biden of old. Biden's notorious inability to effectively toot his own horn has been ironic given all that his administration has achieved. He has pulled the country back from the economic brink caused by the pandemic so badly mismanaged by his predecessor. He has put up economic numbers that will impress historians. And he has navigated into law investments in America's future that will pay off for generations to come. But over the last several weeks in particular, events have served to toot Biden's horn for him, and loudly. It was Biden who, drawing upon his keen understanding of the stakes at play in keeping Vladimir Putin from overrunning Ukraine, fashioned the international resistance to Russia that has kept it at bay, and left it badly weakened in the nearly three years since Russia's 2022 invasion. The United Kingdom's under-secretary of defense, Luke Pollard, recently estimated that over 750,000 Russian soldiers have already been killed, wounded or captured, and that that figure is likely to exceed 1 million by next spring. Russia's losses have come, Pollard told Parliament "whilst only achieving limited tactical gains." Had Russia succeeded in subjugating Ukraine, as it surely would have but for Biden's skilled, determined response to the invasion, the former Soviet republics and Eastern Europe would be under threat of being next on Putin's menu. Biden likely will be remembered as a hero in Europe for what he has done to protect future generations of Europeans. Pinning Russia down has had an "8 ball in the side pocket" effect on the Middle East, where Biden's refusal to placate his critics on the left by abandoning Israel has paid massive dividends and created new hopes. Israel has destroyed Hamas, decimated Hezbollah and exposed Iran as a paper tiger. This means new possibilities for Gazans, the Lebanese, the Iranians and now, with the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's savage and tyrannical regime, Syrians. Had Biden not understood the importance of ensuring that Israel had the means and the room with which to defend itself against the Mideast's barbarians and had he caved to the protesters shouting "Genocide Joe," the present — and the future — would look a lot different. He's derided by MAGA World. Democrats roll their eyes at the mention of his name. But Joe Biden's been one consequential president. And that's the way history is likely to judge him.

The Big Central Conference released its All-Division football teams for the 2024 season. You can find the selections for the American Gold Division below. NOTE : The selections were made by coaches from the conference and not reporters from NJ.com . If an athlete’s name is misspelled, please let us know and we will make the correction. FIRST TEAM Javon Hudson, St. Joseph, LB/FB, Sr. Ashton Irving, St. Joseph, E/FS, Sr. Tyler Huseth. St. Joseph, E/DE/K/P, Sr. Jacob Pappas, St. Joseph, HB/DB, Sr. John Kelly, St. Joseph, OL/DL, Sr. Justin Scaramuzzo, St. Joseph, QB/DB, Jr. Brody Picariello, St. Joseph, OL/DL, Jr. Tom Kwiatkowski, St. Joseph, OL/DL, Jr. Reggie Bropleh, St. Joseph, HB/DB, Jr. Lincoln Meyers, Westfield, DE/FB, Sr. Jack Martin, Westfield, OL, Sr. Enzo Ferrero, Westfield, WR/DB, Sr. Jordan Walsh, Westfield, QB/DB, So. Colin Coyle, Westfield, TE/LB, Sr. Jake Zemsky, Westfield, OL/DL, Jr. Zac Wragg, Westfield, DE/TE, Sr. Nahjae Smith, Elizabeth, WR/S, So. Arique Fleming, Elizabeth, QB, So. Antoine Blount, Elizabeth, WR/CB, Sr. Byan Palamar, Elizabeth, OL, Jr. Dallas Tullis, Union, FB/DL, Sr. Bryan Accinot, Union, RB/DB, Sr. Kervin Desir, Union, OL/DL, Sr. SECOND TEAM Jason Gross, St. Joseph, OL/DE, Jr. Tom Myers, St. Joseph, TE/OLB, Jr. Triston Bester, St. Joseph, HB/OLB, So. Jaylen Frias, St. Joseph, FB/ILB, So. Brenton Hatch, Westfield, OL, Sr. Sebastian Magherini, Westfield, WR/DB, Sr. Connor Whelan, Westfield, DT, Jr. Colby Parmalee, Westfield, OL, Sr. Nico Abreu, Elizabeth, OL/DL, Sr. QuaYon Williams, Elizabeth, WR/CB, So. Dakari Dugger, Union, WR/LB, Sr. Babadara Olowe, Union, OL/DL, Sr. Mike Kinney can be reached at mkinney@njadvancemedia.com The N.J. High School Sports newsletter is now appearing in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now! Follow us on social: Facebook | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter)There's no better home run hitter playing football right now. Barkley had touchdown runs of 72 and 70 yards for the Philadelphia Eagles in a 37-20 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night. He now has five runs of 50-plus yards this season and is on pace to break Eric Dickerson's single-season record of 2,105 yards set in 1984. Barkley's historic performance against the Rams — his 255 yards set a team record — captivated a national audience and turned him into a fan favorite for the AP NFL MVP award. He's not the betting favorite, however. Josh Allen has the best odds at plus-150, according to Bet MGM Sportsbook. Two-time MVP Lamar Jackson is next at plus-250 followed by Barkley at plus-400. Running backs have won the award 18 times, including three-time winner Jim Brown, who was the AP's first NFL MVP in 1957. Quarterbacks have dominated the award, winning it 45 times. Only three players who weren't QBs or RBs have been MVP. It takes a special season for a non-QB to win it mainly because the offense goes through the signal caller. Quarterbacks handle the ball every offensive snap, run the show and get the credit when things go well and the blame when it doesn't. Adrian Peterson was the most recent non-QB to win it when he ran for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Minnesota Vikings in 2012. Playing for a winning team matters, too. Nine of the past 11 winners played for a No. 1 seed with the other two winners on a No. 2 seed. The Vikings earned the sixth seed when Pederson was MVP. Barkley is a major reason why the Eagles (9-2) are leading the NFC East and only trail Detroit (10-1) by one game for the top spot in the conference. Does he have a realistic chance to win the MVP award? Kicker Mark Moseley was the MVP in the strike-shortened 1982 season when he made 20 of 21 field goals and 16 of 19 extra points in nine games for Washington. If voters once selected a kicker, everyone has a chance, especially a game-changer such as Barkley. Defensive tackle Alan Page was the MVP in 1971 and linebacker Lawrence Taylor won it in 1986. Running back Christian McCaffrey finished third in voting last year and wide receiver Justin Jefferson placed fifth in 2022. The Offensive Player of the Year award and Defensive Player of the Year award recognize the best all-around players on both sides of the ball, allowing voters to recognize non-QBs if they choose. Wide receivers and running backs have won the AP OPOY award seven times over the past 11 seasons. McCaffrey was the 2023 winner. The AP's new voting format introduced in 2022 also gives non-QBs a better opportunity to get MVP recognition. Voter submit their top five picks for each award, with a weighted point system. Previously, voters made one choice for each award. A nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league vote for MVP and seven other awards. The awards are based on regular-season performance. The Chiefs (10-1) and Bills (9-2) already are in position to lock up postseason berths right after Thanksgiving. Kansas City clinches a playoff berth with a win over Las Vegas on Black Friday and a loss by Miami on Thursday night, or a win plus a loss by Denver on Monday night. Buffalo can wrap up a fifth straight AFC East title with a victory over San Francisco on Sunday and a loss by the Dolphins. It's not a given that the Dallas Cowboys will be looking for a new head coach after this season. Owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday on local radio that Mike McCarthy could end up getting a contract extension. "I don't think that's crazy at all. This is a Super Bowl-winning coach. Mike McCarthy has been there and done that. He has great ideas. We got a lot of football left," Jones said. McCarthy led the Cowboys (4-7) to three straight 12-win seasons, but they went 1-3 in the playoffs and haven't reached the NFC championship game since winning the Super Bowl 29 years ago. Injuries have contributed to the team's struggles this season, but Dallas was just 3-5 before Dak Prescott was lost for the rest of the season. The Cowboys upset Washington last week and their next four games are against teams that currently have losing records. If they somehow end up 9-8 or even 8-9, Jones could make a case for keeping McCarthy.

5 tech New Year's Resolutions I'll probably never keepWasabi Market to Grow by USD 466.1 Million (2024-2028), Driven by Rising Health Awareness and AI-Powered Insights - Technavio

A Toronto social service agency is suing the Ontario government, claiming its new legislation restricting overdose prevention sites violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. “We are challenging the act,” said Bill Sinclair, CEO of the Neighbourhood Group Community Services, which initiated the lawsuit, during a press conference Tuesday afternoon at 91 Bellevue Ave. in Kensington Market. He added that removing the sites will “deprive people of lifesaving care.” The Community Care and Recovery Act, passed by the Ontario Legislature last December, is set to come into effect on March 31, 2025. The legislation introduces new zoning restrictions that require existing consumption treatment service sites — commonly known as supervised injection sites — to be located at least 200 metres from schools and daycare centres. As a result, 10 of the province’s current sites will be forced to close, including five in Toronto. The NGCS’s Kensington Market overdose prevention site, which is the only self-funded site affected by the new regulations, will be among those shut down. The agency argues that the legislation unlawfully limits access to critical harm reduction services, jeopardizing public health and violating the Charter-protected rights to life, liberty, and security. The lawsuit contends that the legislation exposes vulnerable Ontarians to increased risks of death and disease. The lawsuit, filed to the Superior Court of Justice on Dec. 9, further claims that the act unlawfully limits access to these critical services that have proven to save lives and reduce the spread of infectious diseases. According to the lawsuit, between 2020 and 2024, Ontario’s supervised consumption sites served 178,253 people, reversed 21,979 overdoses, and made more than 500,000 referrals for substance use treatment. The legal challenge also argues that the Community Care and Recovery Act violates the Charter by denying access to services that save lives. The lawsuit further contends that the act imposes cruel and unusual punishment under Section 12 of the Charter, as it exposes people who use drugs to an increased risk of harm in a manner “degrading, dehumanizing, and incompatible with basic conceptions of human dignity.” “We know we need more sites to save lives and the governments legislature does the opposite,” said Sandra Ka Hon Chu, co-executive director of the HIV Legal Network, an organization backing the legal challenge against the Ontario government. The group, who spoke at the afternoon press conference, supports supervised consumption services and released a 2024 report, Bill Sinclair, CEO of the Neighbourhood Group Community Services, the agency leading the lawsuit, said, “These sites make a positive impact on individuals and the communities.” The lawsuit also claims the legislation is discriminatory, denying people with substance use disorders — many of whom are marginalized and disadvantaged — access to proven medical treatment. The agency is asking the court to either exempt the Kensington Market site from the new regulations or declare the relevant sections of the Community Care and Recovery Act invalid. In response, a spokesperson for Health Minister Sylvia Jones did not comment directly on the lawsuit but provided an emailed statement to the Star, saying, “Our government is taking action to protect children and their families while taking the next step to create a system of care that prioritizes community safety, treatment, and recovery by investing $378 million to create HART (homelessness and addiction recovery treatment) Hubs. Each drug consumption site closing will have the opportunity to turn into a HART Hub.” Sinclair of the Neighbourhood Group Community Services warned that closing the supervised consumption sites will harm many people in the city. “These sites make a positive impact on individuals and the communities.”

None