slot game real money CALGARY — The Calgary Stampeders re-signed veteran kicker Rene Paredes on Wednesday while also restructuring quarterback Vernon Adams Jr.'s deal. Calgary signed Paredes to a two-year contract extension. The Canadian was scheduled to become a free agent in February. The Stampeders acquired Adams last month from the B.C. Lions. The club and player agreed to terms on a restructured contract for the 2025 and 2026 seasons. "The restructured contract will give us more salary-cap flexibility to sign free agents and retain our own players who will be eligible for free agency in February,” Dave Dickenson, Calgary's head coach and general manager, said in a statement. “Vernon remains under contract for the next two seasons and we’re excited to have him in Calgary.” Adams, an eight-year CFL veteran, posted a 6-3 record last season with B.C., completing 197-of-302 passes (65.2 per cent) for 2,929 yards with 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He recorded six 300-yard passing games while also rushing for 213 yards and three TDs in 40 attempts. He completed 20-of-33 passes for 317 yards with two TDs and three interceptions in B.C.'s 28-19 West Division semifinal loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Paredes, a six-time all-star, has played 13 seasons with Calgary — ranking him fourth all-time in franchise history in terms of longevity — and his 229 regular-season games place him second in the Stampeders record books. He made 41 of his 44 field-goal attempts (93.2-per-cent success rate) over 18 games in 2024. Paredes has played 248 career regular-season and post-season games for the Stampeders since signing as a free agent in 2011. His 2,286 career regular-season points place him eighth on the CFL’s all-time list and he was part of Grey Cup-winning teams in 2014 and 2018. “I’m very excited to be back with the organization,” Paredes said in a release. “My family and I love the city and it’s a blessing to have spent my entire career as a Stampeder. The last two seasons have been a challenge for us as a team but I’m looking forward to doing everything I can to help turn things around.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 11, 2024. The Canadian PressWilly Adames plans to play every day for San Francisco and bring the Giants championships

BEMIDJI — Pixar’s loss has been Bemidji’s gain. When Gary Johnson graduated from college in 1988 and began looking for a job, the self-admitted computer geek sent applications to Pixar and Disney, hoping to get in on the cutting edge of animated movies. “My first resume I sent out was to Pixar,” said Johnson, who is retiring next week after a 36-year career at Bemidji-based Paul Bunyan Communications, the last 12 as chief executive officer and general manager. “It was also my first rejection letter.” He was rejected by Disney, too. But then he saw a tiny, two-line want ad for a computer programming job in Bemidji. It was close to home since Johnson graduated from Walker-Hackensack-Akeley High School and Minnesota State University Moorhead. The ad was from Paul Bunyan Telephone Cooperative, a small company that provided landline service to areas outside of Bemidji and needed a programmer to write software. Johnson got the job. “I was the 23rd employee, and I was the new guy for about five years,” said 59-year-old Johnson. “We weren’t hiring, we weren’t growing. But it was a great company, a fundamentally awesome company that was mission-driven.” Fast forward 36 years, and the cooperative has grown to 165 employees. The GigaZone, its all-fiber optic broadband network, serves 33,000 customers throughout northern Minnesota. As the cooperative grew, Johnson moved up from programmer to commercial manager to advanced services manager to chief operating officer. He was named CEO and GM in 2012 after Paul Freude retired. All the while, Johnson became one of Bemidji’s most prolific community leaders. As a Rotarian, he led the effort to launch the Lake Bemidji Dragon Boat Festival. As a board member of Greater Bemidji Economic Development, he was instrumental in creating the LaunchPad entrepreneur support center, the 218 Relocate remote worker recruitment effort and the NorthStartUp Pitch Competition for new business ideas. He also has guided Paul Bunyan’s Communications efforts to create the annual and the Lumberjack Games. “Gary is one of the most effective leaders I have ever met,” said Greater Bemidji Executive Director Dave Hengel. “In fact, I would be hard-pressed to find anyone who has had a greater impact on our community than Gary over the past decade. "He is passionate and cares deeply about Bemidji. He is one of those leaders who people naturally like to follow not only because of his passion and energy but also his humility. He is a true community steward.” Scott Turn, executive director of the Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce, has worked alongside Johnson on several projects, including the Dragon Boat Festival. “I don’t know if I have been to an important meeting or community initiative where Gary Johnson wasn’t there,” Turn said. “He has been a constant in Bemidji for many years, not only representing Paul Bunyan Communications but also the many community organizations he has been a part of. He has been a difference maker in our region.” Elaine Iverson worked with Johnson for 28 years and said it was no surprise that he rose to a leadership position. “We had a consultant working for us, and he could really see the potential in Gary for the future, the way technology maneuvered forward,” said Iverson, who retired in 2016 as administrative assistant to Johnson. “Gary had excellent leadership skills. He was fair and he was empathetic. He also had a very funny sense of humor. He was fun to work with.” Brian Bissonette, Paul Bunyan’s marketing supervisor used that same word to describe Johnson. They’ve worked together since 1998. “We’ve had so much fun along the way,” Bissonette said. “You’re not supposed to have fun at work, right? I just always appreciated Gary’s personality, the way he treats people. If you’ve been to our annual fish fry, he’s the one out sweeping. He’s always trying to get to the level of every employee. I think that resonates with a lot of people. We’ve made some very impactful decisions that were really a lot of fun to do.” Johnson made a name for himself and Paul Bunyan Communications in the industry. “There are a lot of independent companies in Minnesota like Paul Bunyan Communications, and Gary has always been a leader in our industry,” said Brent Christensen, president and CEO of the Minnesota Telecom Alliance. “Paul Bunyan Communications is one of the largest cooperatives in Minnesota ... and there are a lot of smaller companies that work together to transport internet traffic and pass it off to each other. There has to be a lot of collaboration, and Gary's really been at the forefront of the collaboration.” Johnson credits Freude and the cooperative’s board of directors for spurring the rapid growth of Paul Bunyan Communications. “We’ve had such great leadership at the board level that has had such trust in us to try new things, invest in new things,” Johnson said. “And there’s Paul Freude. I got to enjoy the fun time. Paul had to take on debt and boldly take on $60 million in debt because he believed in fiber technology. From a leadership perspective, I really feel lucky that I inherited this infrastructure.” Johnson said while he will miss his co-workers and his job, he knows Paul Bunyan Communications will continue to grow, and it’s in good hands with his successor, “There are a lot of reasons to be apprehensive about leaving something you’ve done for a long time,” Johnson said. “But the piece I’m absolutely not worried about is here. And that’s a gift to me.”

Voters in Ireland were more than usually busy in 2024, casting their ballot in five different polls – for two referenda in March, local and European ballots in June and a general election in November. The country’s political comings and goings were further punctuated by an emotional announcement in March from former premier Leo Varadkar that he was resigning as taoiseach and Fine Gael leader. He was succeeded the following month in both roles by Simon Harris. But the year had so much more to offer than just politics, and PA news agency photographers were on hand to capture some of the highlights.The trunk of my old car is filled with tattered coats, sweatpants and stocking caps. You'll find holes if you look real close. But those clothes have come in handy in the chilly Treasure State, where so many of us take pride in making the most of challenging weather days. I think of the Montana defense the same way I do the 30-year-old wind pants I pull out of the trunk to wear while covering football games. Both have been largely underappreciated the last five weeks. On Saturday in Bozeman, the Griz defense surrendered 34 points against No. 2 Montana State, so nobody is going to be comparing that crew to Pittsburgh's Steel Curtain of 1975. Certainly fans of the maroon and silver had a lot of reasons to be flustered. But take a step back and consider Montana State possessed the ball for almost two-thirds of the first half. Then the Cats had some good field position in the first 13 minutes of the third quarter and Montana's defense refused to relent, clinging to hope despite a 20-3 deficit. "They chucked it down the field a few times and made two catches — it's not a high percentage play for them and we've gotta live with that," Montana coach Bobby Hauck said coming out of the locker room after halftime. "Other than that we're tackling well. I think we're playing pretty well on defense." The most prolific scoring team in the FCS was limited to 20 points through the first 43 minutes. Kudos to the Montana defense for its hustle and heart. It's just that the Grizzly offense, held scoreless in the first half at home last weekend against Portland State, was held to three points through three quarters in Bozeman against the best defense in the Big Sky Conference. Sure, we all expected Montana to do better in its 123rd annual rivalry game at MSU. Maybe at least score more than one touchdown with so much motivation. But give credit to Montana's defensive coaches for again coming up with a strong game plan against Montana State senior quarterback Tommy Mellott. And credit the defense for its vast improvement since giving up 55 points at home earlier this season to Weber State (4-8) and 49 at Eastern Washington (4-8). Not to beat a dead horse, but I can't help wondering how things might have been different had Clifton McDowell stayed around. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound quarterback led Montana to the FCS title game last December with a knack for picking up tough yards on the ground and doing just enough with his passing. He entered the transfer portal last winter for reasons unreported. Maybe he was looking for more NIL money. Maybe he disliked Montana's weather. You could say it's all ancient history now and doesn't matter. But it does matter. It matters a lot because Montana could have been much better. The banged-up Grizzlies need to regroup in a hurry now with a playoff game — likely at home — coming up next weekend. If the defense plays the way it did against the Bobcats, I like Montana's chances. But something needs to be done with the offense and I'm not even sure what it is at this point. Maybe go back to Keali'i Ah Yat at quarterback, assuming he's healthy, or give 6-4 sophomore Kaden Huot of Helena a few snaps. Montana has beaten only one conference team with a winning record (Northern Arizona), so maybe Griz fans should be grateful their guys are in the playoff mix with an 8-4 record. Any postseason success would feel like a bonus at this point. Speltz Get local news delivered to your inbox!CanPay Launches Member Benefits Program, Partners with Cannabis Telehealth Platform NuggMD

Women leaders and activists, who actively participated in the July uprising, yesterday said despite their contributions at every level, they have been systematically sidelined in the post-movement period. They pointed out that equal representation of women was not ensured in the reform commissions or other state institutions. They added that the longstanding culture of denying women their rightful roles and excluding them from various sectors continues unabated. They made these remarks at a discussion titled "Dialogue on Women of the Mass Uprising: Where Did the Women Go?" held at the Jatiya Press Club, where injured participants and female activists shared their experiences. The event was jointly organised by two volunteer organisations, Loraku 24 and Empowering Our Fighters. Umama Fatema, spokesperson for the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, said it has become evident that there was a deliberate and successful attempt to sideline women in the aftermath of the uprising. "When male leaders were arrested, women stepped up to lead and continued until August 5. But after that, I was completely sidelined. Attempts were made to portray men as the heroes of the movement, and I began experiencing an identity crisis," she said. "Women leaders were harassed on social media, and those in power took no action. This further marginalised the women who participated in the movement," she added. Nazifa Jannat, a student of East West University and coordinator during the movement, said, "It is deeply unfortunate that we are now compelled to assert that we, too, were part of the movement." "People are asking, 'Where are the women now?' This question should be directed at the political parties that, despite their capacity, failed to include women," she said, calling on the media to raise such questions. She emphasised the importance of increasing women's representation in positions of power. "Women should not have to demand recognition for their roles; it is the state's responsibility to acknowledge them. We protested against discrimination in the past, and we did so to eradicate all forms of inequity," she said. Dr Worthy Jukhrif, who provided medical aid alongside Dr Hritisha Aktar Mitheen to over 100 injured persons during the uprising, said, "We believe women should be equally represented in every sector of the state, including the Reform Commission, to eliminate all forms of discrimination." Jannatul Ferdous Nitu, a second-year student at Barisal Government College, said, "No female students were included in the advisory council. Even though one woman was named spokesperson for the main committee, she has been noticeably absent in press releases and other activities," she said. Samia Akhter Jannat, a tenth-grade student who was injured multiple times during the movement, said not only are women's contributions unacknowledged, but they are also being deliberately excluded. Sabina Yasmin, a protester and female labourer from Ashulia, observed, "Many labelled the uprising as a student movement. In reality, labourers, including female workers, participated spontaneously. Many women were injured or killed, yet their sacrifices remain unrecognised." Sumaiya Nishu, a student from Noakhali, pointed out, "While women in Dhaka have some visibility in state affairs, women from outside Dhaka are completely overlooked." Sabrina Akhter, a student from Begum Rokeya University, said, "Despite our active participation, the media continues to focus primarily on men, perpetuating past inequalities against women." Shamima Sultana Lavu, a senior journalist from Channel 24 who was injured during the movement, explained, "During the movement, press secretaries monitored media houses, and we were even temporarily taken off-air. Yet, we persisted. The footage we couldn't air domestically, we shared with international media." She added that while a small number of media personnel were compromised, the entire journalist community often bears the brunt of public anger. The event was inaugurated by Ainun Nahar, the mother of Naima Sultana, a student killed during the uprising. Recalling her daughter's aspirations to become a doctor, Ainun said, "We moved to the city for her education, but her death shattered all our dreams. My daughter even argued with me when I discouraged her participation in the movement." She urged the inclusion of the uprising and its martyrs in textbooks and demanded punishment for those responsible for the killings. The event also featured speeches from women who played significant roles in rehabilitating injured and bereaved families from abroad.None

New Delhi: The Congress-led MVA 's massive defeat in the strategically key state of Maharashtra is not only another jolt to Congress ' electoral record against the BJP after the Haryana loss, and thus its effort to be the pivot of anti-BJP national politics by building on from its sliver of hope in the general election, the setback also adds to the already volatile equations within the INDIA bloc , making it a task to ensure its future unity. Assembly Election Results Live Updates Maharashtra Election Results Jharkhand Election Results Bypoll Election Results Although the JMM-led front's second consecutive victory in comparatively smaller Jharkhand makes it theoretically a '1-1' NDA-INDIA score, yet, the enormity of the Maharashtra defeat makes the JMM-led victory just a consolation prize for the Opposition, a fact advertised by the gloom at the Congress headquarters throughout the day even when Priyanka Gandhi Vadra made her anticipated first election victory from the safe seat of Wayanad by bettering her brother's 2024 majority mark. The JMM-led front's impressive victory also shows, once again, how the Congress excels these days mostly in piggybacking on regional biggies rather than the other way around. In the Congress leadership structure, guarded by nominated party office bearers, the Gandhi family will continue to enjoy the 'indoor comfort', but in the competitive electoral politics, the Maharashtra defeat once again raises questions about the effectiveness of the 'Gandhi-Vadra mystic' to electorally conquer and deliver (their much-touted 99 tally in the last Lok Sabha poll is still the third-lowest Congress tally in history, scored mostly against non-BJP parties). Priyanka, after Rahul, too opting for the safety of Wayand is seen even in the Congress circles as self-admission of this limitation. 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While the BJP and RSS reworked their campaign coordination, guarded against caste divisions through "batenge toh katenge" like slogans, wooed back OBCs by tapping their anger against Maratha quota agitation and played up social welfarist schemes like "Laadki Bahin", Rahul Gandhi, like la Rafale campaign in the past, struck to the 'Constitution" and "caste-census" themes. In contrast, the Hemant Soren-led campaign in Jharkhand positioned the front's campaign on welfarist schemes, especially for women, and by cementing unity of tribals and whipping up sympathy for his arrest to beat back the BJP's "infiltrators" plank. Rahul Gandhi campaigned for just five days in Maharashtra and four days in Jharkhand, but spared three days for Wayanad. The 'united Congress' of Maharashtra now stands as battered as the already broken Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SCP). AICC spokespersons indulged in their difficult occupational hazard by defending Gandhi's campaign approach and questioned the credibility of Maharashtra result while hailing victories in Jharkhand and Wayanad. The Maharashtra poll also marked Gandhi and Udhav Thackeray's failure in marketing 'Adani' as an electoral plank by first coining "Adani & Modi ek hai toh safe hai" counter-slogan and then promising to evict the Adani project from Dharavi redevelopment plan besides attempting a Maharashtra-Gujarat divide. While the Congress-led Opposition will raise in Parliament the indictment of Adani in the US, whether the Maharashtra defeat will sap their energy and unity to sustain that agitation is being watched. Bypoll Woes The Congress show in the cluster of Assembly by-elections, too, showed it faring poorly against the BJP, and in comparison to INDIA bloc allies such as TMC and AAP. Barring winning all three seats in Karnataka and retaining a seat in MP, Congress' show in Rajasthan, Assam, Punjab and Gujarat was below par as Congress closes yet another electoral calendar year with little to cheer. Assembly Election Results Live Updates Maharashtra Poll Results Highlights 2024 Jharkhand Poll Results Highlights 2024 (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )

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Canada has announced an ambitious interim target to cut emissions by 45–50% below 2005 levels by 2035, refining its commitment towards the global 2050 net-zero emissions goal. Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault emphasized this as a promise to future generations for a safer and more sustainable world. The target extends Canada's initial goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40% to 45% by 2030, with the government focusing on increasing green energy use. However, the nation has historically fallen short of its emission goals, prompting critiques from climate groups urging more drastic steps. Political challenges intensify as Canada heads towards a federal election, with the Conservatives questioning the feasibility of the Liberal government's climate measures, including capping emissions in the oil and gas sector. (With inputs from agencies.)It seems that Threads is still a little spooked by the sudden rise of Bluesky , with the Meta-owned app now copying another Bluesky element in “Starter Packs”. On Bluesky, Starter Packs are curated, topic-based lists of people to follow, which are designed to make it easier for newcomers to populate their feed. And while Threads isn’t calling its version “Starter Packs” it may as well. As you can see in these examples, Threads’ take own Starter Packs will be shown to new users, and within your “For You” feed, and will recommend listings that have been curated by Threads users. As explained by Threads : “ Starting this week, you may see occasional suggestions to follow multiple profiles from custom feeds curated by a few members of the Threads community in the U.S. We’re testing this experience with a small number of threaders to start, but everyone on Threads in the U.S. will be able to see and follow the profiles included in these collections. ” It’s essentially what Twitter users would know as “Lists”, which makes it easier to find users to follow based on a topic, and can be very helpful in building your initial in-app experience. And with Threads now also letting some users default to the “Following” feed (also like Bluesky), following the right profiles becomes even more important, as opposed to relying on the algorithm to show you content that you might like via the “For You” display. So it does make sense for Threads to add custom lists, while it also recently added the option to swipe across to alternative, custom feeds from the main UI, making it even easier to access and utilize this element. There’s definitely practical value here, but it is interesting to see just how freaked out Threads is about Bluesky, to the point that it’s replicating virtually all of Bluesky’s features to dilute any potential competition. Which is a tactic that Meta has used repeatedly to do exactly that. Replicating Snapchat’s Stories feature on Instagram, for example, halted Snapchat’s growth for some time , while replicating TikTok, with Reels, also seems to have slowed TikTok’s expansion , especially among older users. So it works, but while Bluesky has seen a rise of late, it only has 24 million users in total , versus 275 million on Threads . So Threads isn’t even giving Bluesky much of a chance to gain traction, before nullifying it through replication. I guess, if Meta wants to become the leader in the real-time social space, it needs to fend off any potential competitor, but really, Bluesky’s going to have enough of its own troubles growing to even make it far enough to be a real threat in this respect. So, Meta’s looking to kill off Bluesky, with almost all of Bluesky’s features now available on Threads as well. Though one of the real lures of Bluesky, for key proponents at least, is that Bluesky doesn’t penalize links , and encourages discussion on any topic. Threads is not overly friendly to link posts , while it also actively restricts political speech . If Threads changes these elements, that would be a big step in really negating Bluesky’s expansion.The murder last week of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan has spotlighted the fury that many Americans feel toward the nation’s dysfunctional health insurance system. It has also tapped a profane undercurrent in national discourse today that makes otherwise rational people think it’s acceptable to express such fury with dehumanizing jokes and memes about the violent taking of a life. What isn’t getting enough attention, but should, is the alleged instrument of that violence. Murder suspect Luigi Mangione was arrested in Pennsylvania carrying a “ghost gun” that authorities believe was the murder weapon. It’s part of a burgeoning industry of untraceable weapons that Congress should have cracked down on years ago — but that, thanks to congressional paralysis on any issue addressing gun violence, might soon enjoy expanded federal protection. America’s federal gun laws are woefully inadequate, as proven by our worst-in-the-advanced-world firearms death rates, but there are some current restrictions that help. Firearms manufacturers are required to stamp each new gun with a serial number. Acquisition and transfer records are required when the weapon is sold and resold. Criminal background checks are required for any gun purchase made through a federally licensed dealer. All of it is designed to both prevent gun violence and to aid police in tracking down perpetrators of violence when it happens. “Ghost guns” are guns assembled by buyers from mail-order kits and/or 3D-printer plans instead of being sold as fully functioning weapons. The only logical reason for this roundabout process is to make it easier for people who aren’t supposed to have weapons to get them — and to make it harder for police to trace them when they’re used in crimes. Common sense dictates that, regardless of how a gun came into being, federal requirements regarding serial numbers and the rest should still apply. A gun assembled at home can be used to kill with just as much finality as one bought in a gun shop. Yet because of the gun lobby's hold over American politics, the legal status of ghost guns today remains in limbo. Congress, at the gun lobby’s bidding, has refused to specify in federal law that ghost guns must come under the same restrictions as other guns. The Biden administration responded with administrative rules that require manufacturers of ghost gun components to adhere to the same regulations as firearms manufacturers, including stamping the parts with serial numbers and keeping relevant sales records. Opponents sued to overturn those restrictions, arguing that gun kits aren’t guns — never mind that they can be assembled by buyers into functioning weapons in as little as 30 minutes. The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in the case (Garland v. VanDerStok) in October; its opinion is pending. But the incoming Trump administration could render the case moot. During President Donald Trump’s first term, he loosened federal regulations on 3D-printer technology related to ghost guns and sided with the gun lobby on most issues. Trump could summarily rescind the Biden administration’s ghost-gun restrictions upon retaking office. All indications are that his fellow Republicans who will control both chambers of Congress would back such a move. Congressional Republicans have consistently supported a hands-off approach to an industry that exists for literally no reason but to hamper law enforcement in criminal investigations. More and more criminals are figuring that out. The number of ghost guns recovered at crime scenes has exploded 10-fold in just the past five years, from under 1,800 in 2016 to more than 19,000 in 2021, according to data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. While the assassin in last week’s murder could just as easily have killed Thompson with a standard-issue handgun, the fact that it was apparently a ghost gun could conceivably complicate the case against Mangione. Police say the ghost gun found on Mangione is “consistent” with the type of gun used in the killing. But that doesn’t provide the solid link they might be able to establish if they could work with a serial number, manufacturing records, background checks and other law enforcement tools are that, by intentional design , not available for ghost guns. In other words, the fact that Mangione allegedly used such a gun to carry out the murder could in theory make it more difficult to prosecute him. If so, will Republicans continue to shield the unrestricted proliferation of this made-for-crime industry from even the minimum firearms standards currently on the books? It's not a rhetorical question. By failing to pass commonsense legislation stamping ghost-gun restrictions into federal law, Congress aids the criminals who are aided by this niche of the firearms industry. Remember that the next time some gun-lobby politician waxes on about supporting "law and order."

July uprising: Women activists feel sidelined and forgotten

A post shared on X claims President-elect Donald Trump nominated Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson as ambassador to Mexico. 🚨President-elect Trump taps Sen. Ron Johnson for United States Ambassador to Mexico. pic.twitter.com/D9vnStP0AF — Breaking911 (@Breaking911) December 11, 2024 Verdict: Misleading It is a different Ron Johnson, not the senator from Wisconsin. Fact Check: Trump nominated Ron Johnson to be ambassador of Mexico, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel . Social media users are claiming that this Ron Johnson is the current senator from Wisconsin. (RELATED: No, Poll Didn’t Show 64% Of Americans Support Hunter Biden’s Pardon) “🚨President-elect Trump taps Sen. Ron Johnson for United States Ambassador to Mexico,” one user wrote. This claim is misleading. The Ron Johnson nominated is the former ambassador to El Salvador, according to the Journal-Sentinel. He served 20 years in Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) after a career in the Army with the Green Berets, per the outlet. Johnson made light of the confusion in a Dec. 11 X post. I never played in the NFL. I wasn’t the CEO of JCPenney. And I haven’t been nominated to be U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. There are a few of us Ron Johnsons out there. — Senator Ron Johnson (@SenRonJohnson) December 11, 2024 “I never played in the NFL. I wasn’t the CEO of JCPenney. And I haven’t been nominated to be U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. There are a few of us Ron Johnsons out there,” Johnson tweeted.BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Tens of thousands of Spaniards marched in downtown Barcelona on Saturday to protest the skyrocketing cost of renting an apartment in the popular tourist destination. Protesters cut off traffic on main avenues in the city center, holding up homemade signs in Spanish reading “Fewer apartments for investing and more homes for living" and “The people without homes uphold their rights.” The lack of affordable housing has become one of the leading concerns for the southern European Union country, mirroring the housing crunch across many parts of the world, including the United States . Organizers said that over 100,000 had turned out, while Barcelona’s police said they estimated some 22,000 marched. Either way, the throngs of people clogging the streets recalled the massive separatist rallies at the height of the previous decade’s Catalan independence movement. Now, social concerns led by housing have displaced political crusades. That is because the average rent for Spain has doubled in last 10 years. The price per square meter has risen from 7.2 euros ($7.5) in 2014 to 13 euros this year, according to the popular online real estate website Idealista. The growth is even more acute in cities like Barcelona and Madrid. Incomes meanwhile have failed to keep up, especially for younger people in a country with chronically high unemployment. Protestor Samuel Saintot said he is “frustrated and scared” after being told by the owners of the apartment he has rented for the past 15 years in Barcelona’s city center that he must vacate the premises. He suspects that the owners want him out so they can renovate it and boost the price. “Even looking in a 20- or 30-kilometer radius outside town, I can’t even find anything within the price range I can afford,” he told The Associated Press. “And I consider myself a very fortunate person, because I earn a decent salary. And even in my case, I may be forced to leave town.” A report by the Bank of Spain indicates that nearly 40% of Spaniards who rent dedicate an average of 40% of their income to paying rents and utilities, compared to the European Union average of 27% of renters who do so. “We are talking about a housing emergency. It means people having many difficulties both in accessing and staying in their homes,” said Ignasi Martí, professor for Esade business school and head of its Dignified Housing Observatory. The rise in rents is causing significant pain in Spain, where traditionally people seek to own their homes. Rental prices have also been driven up by short-term renters including tourists. Many migrants to Spain are also disproportionately hit by the high rents because they often do not have enough savings. Spain is near the bottom end of OECD countries with under 2% of all housing available being public housing for rent. The OECD average is 7%. Spain is far behind France, with 14%, Britain with 16%, and the Netherlands with 34%. Carme Arcarazo, spokesperson for Barcelona’s Tenants Union which helped organize the protest, said that renters should consider a “rent strike” and cease paying their monthly rents in a mass protest movement. “I think we the tenants have understood that this depends on us. That we can’t keep asking and making demands to the authorities and waiting for an answer. We must take the reins of the situation,” Arcarazo told the AP. “So, if they (the owners) won’t lower the rent, then we will force them to do it." The Barcelona protest came a month after tens of thousands rallied against high rents in Madrid. The rising discontent over housing is putting pressure on Spain’s governing Socialist party, which leads a coalition on the national level and is in charge of Catalonia’s regional government and Barcelona’s city hall. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez presided over what the government termed a “housing summit” including government officials and real estate developers last month. But the Barcelona’s Tenants Union boycotted the event, saying it was like calling a summit for curing cancer and inviting tobacco companies to participate. The leading government measure has been a rent cap mechanism that the central government has offered to regional authorities based on a price index established by the housing ministry. Rent controls can be applied to areas deemed to be “highly stressed” by high rental prices. Catalonia was the first region to apply those caps, which are in place in downtown Barcelona. Many locals blame the million of tourists who visit Barcelona, and the rest of Spain, each year for the high prices. Barcelona’s town hall has pledged to completely eliminate the city’s 10,000 so called “tourist apartments,” or dwellings with permits for short-term rents, by 2028.