Jimmy Carter, the longest living former president, whose term was marred by the Iran hostage crisis and rampant inflation but who went on to build a humanitarian legacy that was recognized with a Nobel Peace Prize, died Sunday. He was 100. No cause was announced. In February 2023 he entered hospice care. The peanut farmer from Georgia was a virtual unknown when he launched his long-shot 1976 presidential bid that took him from “Jimmy Who?” to his inauguration as the nation’s 39th president. The Democrat took office at a time when the country was still reeling from battles over civil rights, Vietnam, inflation and Watergate. The defining moment of Carter’s presidency, though, is often thought to have occurred Nov. 4, 1979, when Iranian militants seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran and took more than 50 U.S. hostages who were held for 444 days. A rescue mission in April 1980 was a dismal embarrassment, as eight U.S. crewmen died and no hostages were released. Carter left the White House in 1981 at age 56, trounced by Republican Ronald Reagan. A year later, he established the Carter Center in Atlanta with the stated mission of human rights, preventing and resolving conflicts, and improving freedom and democracy. Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, cited “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” He continued to teach Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains. He and his wife, Rosalynn, traveled to Nashville in 2019 for their 36th project helping build homes with Habitat for Humanity. He and Rosalynn Carter, who died at age 96 on November 19, 2023, were married for 77 years. Jimmy Carter lived in the house he built in 1961 in Plains, Georgia, about two-and-a-half hours south of Atlanta. “Across life’s seasons, President Jimmy Carter, a man of great faith, has walked with God,” Sen. Raphael Warnock , D-Ga., wrote after news of Carter’s deteriorating condition earlier this year. “In this tender time of transitioning, God is surely walking with him.” Life in Plains, Georgia James Earl “Jimmy” Carter Jr. was born on Oct. 1, 1924, to Lillian and James Earl Carter Sr. The father is described by the Plains Historical Preservation Trust as “an insurance broker, farmer, fertilizer dealer, Baptist and Democrat.” They lived in Plains, a town of about 700 people nestled in an area of cotton and peanut fields. Jimmy Carter had ambitions beyond Plains. Inspired by an uncle, he attended the Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. During a visit home, he asked Rosalynn Smith, whose family had known the Carters for years, on a date. Jimmy and Rosalynn, then a college student in Georgia, stayed in touch, and in July, a few weeks after he graduated from the Naval Academy, they were married. It was Adm. Hyman Rickover who would be an influence on Carter’s naval and political career. Rickover ran the nation’s nascent nuclear submarine program, and during their job interview, asked Carter if he had done his best at Annapolis. Carter, who said he graduated 59th in his class of 820, conceded, “I didn’t always do my best.” “He looked around me for a long time,” Carter recalled as recounted by James Wooten in his book, “Dasher.” Then Rickover asked one final question, which Carter said, “I have never been able to forget — or to answer. He said, ‘Why not?’ I sat there for a while shaken, and then slowly left the room.” Carter went on to work for Rickover, and “Why Not the Best?” became a Carter catchphrase, the title of his 1976 campaign autobiography. He would often cite Rickover as one of the greatest influences on his life. Carter’s Navy career was short-lived. His father died in 1953, and his family needed him to run the business in Plains. Rosalynn protested, but the family headed back to Georgia. Entering state politics Carter won a state Senate seat in 1962, and in 1966 ran for governor. It was a long shot. The civil rights movement was redefining Southern politics. The changes rocked Georgia, and Lester Maddox, who had gained fame when he pushed potential Black customers away from his Atlanta cafeteria with an ax handle, would beat Carter in the Democratic gubernatorial primary. Carter returned to Plains, devastated and introspective.“ At a crossroads, he turned increasingly for solace to his faith,” wrote Peter Bourne in his biography of Carter. “There followed a series of events that would reshape both his relationship with his faith and the central guiding motivation in his life.” With the help of his sister, Ruth, an evangelist, Carter “was recommitting himself to Christ, through deep ongoing study and meditation about Christ’s life.” Through this study, Bourne wrote, “he sought to gain the fullest possible understanding of what the Christian message meant in modern life.” When he ran again for governor in 1970, Carter publicly softened his stance toward segregationists. He had kinder words for Maddox and defended all-white academies, where many whites fled as public schools became integrated. Once elected, though, Carter made it clear he would be a scion of the new, inclusive South. “No poor, rural, weak or Black person should ever have to bear the additional burden of being deprived of the opportunity of an education, a job or simply justice,” he said in his inaugural address — stunning words from a Georgia governor at the time. He hung a portrait of Martin Luther King Jr. outside his office at the state Capitol. By the early 1970s, national politics was in turmoil. Richard Nixon won 49 states in 1972, leaving Democratic nominee George McGovern and his party dazed with no clear path forward. McGovern was boosted by his anti-Vietnam War stance, but the war was winding down. Unknown, but not for long It was a time of enormous uncertainty. Runaway inflation, and later long lines for gasoline, rocked the economy. Nixon would be dogged by the Watergate scandal and resigned in August 1974. Trust in government was sinking. Along came Jimmy Carter. He announced his campaign for the White House in December 1974 in Washington, and few paid attention. But top aide Hamilton Jordan had a plan, and Carter presented himself as not only a fresh voice unencumbered by Washington tradition or scandal, but as a politician with a strong moral compass. He campaigned as a calm antidote to the turmoil of Washington. “I will never lie to you,” Carter told voters. It worked. He beat President Gerald Ford in a close election, and on Inauguration Day 1977 vowed to set a new course and new standard. He, Rosalynn and daughter Amy stepped out of their limousine during the parade down Pennsylvania Avenue and walked. He later addressed the nation in 1977 wearing a sweater. Carter’s initial priority would be energy efficiency to ease what he called “the moral equivalent of war” in a speech to the nation three months after he took office. Carter won some important battles. He was able to open relations with mainland China, secure approval of a treaty to end U.S. control of the Panama Canal, and perhaps most significantly, broker a historic peace accord between Israel and Egypt after nearly two weeks of talks at Camp David. Issues with the economy But the nation’s turmoil persisted. The economy remained shaky, and by the end of his term inflation and interest rates were hitting double-digit levels. Gas lines reappeared in many places in 1979. Carter was able to secure an arms control agreement with the Soviet Union, but Senate efforts to ratify it were thwarted by anger over the Soviet Union’s 1979 Afghanistan invasion. Carter appeared more and more to be losing control. He and his top advisers retreated to Camp David in the summer of 1979 to reassess how to run the government, and when it ended Carter delivered what came to be called the “malaise speech.” He told the nation, “We can see this crisis in the growing doubt about the meaning of our own lives and in the loss of a unity of purpose for our nation.” The speech only exacerbated his political problems. Though Congress was run by Democrats, leaders were cool to Carter, and by late 1979, Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts announced he would challenge the president for the party’s nomination. The Mariel Boatlift Carter’s election-year problems faced another daunting challenge: the Mariel Boatlift. The administration had been seeking better ties with Cuban President Fidel Castro, and in April 1980 Castro said Cubans could leave. But Castro opened his country’s mental health facilities and prisons, and they flocked to South Florida. The White House was uncertain how to deal with the situation. On May 6, 1980, in an address to the nation, Carter declared a state of emergency in the areas of Florida most “severely affected” by the exodus, and an “open heart and open arms” policy to all refugees fleeing Cuba. Miami was overwhelmed with the refugees. Many were criminals. The boatlift ended in October, but Carter suffered political damage. Carter won his party’s nomination that summer, but only after a bitter battle with Kennedy. He ran against the upbeat, optimistic Reagan, losing 44 states as he became the first elected president to lose a reelection bid since Herbert Hoover in 1932. The Iran hostages were released minutes after Reagan was sworn into office. Carter went back to Plains. The Carter Center would become a popular site for international forums. It also took on a mission to spread Carter’s vision for fighting poverty and hunger. Global 2000 was a bid to boost food production in Africa. Prolific author Carter became a prolific author, writing about a variety of topics from memoirs to treatises on the Middle East to “Our Endangered Values: America’s Moral Crisis.” Among his books: “The Craftsmanship of Jimmy Carter.” “I like to see what I have done, what I have made,” Carter said. “The pleasure does not fade as the years go by; in fact, with age my diminished physical strength has eliminated some of the formerly competing hobbies and made woodworking even more precious to me.” He and Rosalynn were very involved with Habitat for Humanity and worked on their 36th project in 2019. They first volunteered with the organization, which helps build homes in the U.S. and overseas, near their home in Georgia in March 1984. On February 18, 2023, following a series of short hospital stays, the Carter Center released a statement that Carter “decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention.” Carter is survived by children John William “Jack,” James Earl III “Chip,” Donnel “Jeff” Jeffrey and Amy Lynn, 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchlldren. A grandson died in 2015. ©2024 The Charlotte Observer. Visit charlotteobserver.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Reason more Kiwis than ever before are ditching New Zealand and moving to Australia More than a third of Kiwis consider move to Aus A record 80,000 have left New Zealand this year Got a story? Email harrison.christian@dailymail.com READ MORE: More than 120 Kiwis a day are ditching New Zealand to move to Australia: Here's why they've had enough By HARRISON CHRISTIAN FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA Published: 20:47 GMT, 12 December 2024 | Updated: 21:00 GMT, 12 December 2024 e-mail 58 View comments An alarming poll has shown that more than a third of Kiwis have considered moving to Australia in the past year, as low economic prospects drive record numbers abroad. It comes as an all-time high of 80,000 New Zealanders left for overseas in the year to the end of September - with about half of them estimated to be heading for the lucky country. New Zealand is in the grip of a 'brain drain' as young Kiwis go in search of better jobs, prices and pay across the ditch or further afield. Earlier this month a poll by The Post and Freshwater Strategy found that 37 per cent of New Zealand voters (more than a third) had seriously considered emigrating to Australia in the past 12 months. That's compared with a mere 8 per cent of Australian voters who have considered moving to New Zealand. Of the Kiwis considering the move, the most-represented age group was New Zealanders aged 18-35 (55 per cent). As for their political leanings, it was Te Pati Maori voters (55 per cent) who were most eager to leave, followed by supporters of the libertarian ACT Party and the Greens (both 41 per cent). The poll also showed a slumping economy was at the forefront of voters' minds, with 60 per cent selecting cost of living pressures as their most important concern. A poll found that 37 per cent of New Zealand voters (more than a third) had seriously considered emigrating to Australia Economic commentator Brad Olsen said the data showed monetary pressures in New Zealand were 'starting to really hit home'. 'A lot more people are obviously casting about, thinking about the options for the future,' Mr Olsen told the Press . 'At the moment, with the New Zealand unemployment rate higher than the Australian, there's a lot of people looking at those numbers and saying: there's better job opportunities on a relative basis in Australia. I might go there and shoot my shot. 'It's not just single individuals going off for a couple of years. We are seeing more families moving en masse to Australia, and that does cause concern about where our future labour market is going to be as New Zealand's population ages.' The latest available figure for unemployment in New Zealand is 4.8 per cent, while Australia's is 4.1 per cent. Although record numbers of Kiwis are leaving their home country, it still had a net migration gain of almost 45,000 in the September 2024 year, according to Stats NZ. But that figure had fallen from a net migration peak of 136,300 in the October 2023 year. By contrast, Australia's net migration in the year to March 2024 was 509,800 people. Only 8 per cent of Australian voters have considered moving to New Zealand Read More Kiwi reveals everything that's 'wrong' with Australia after crossing the ditch New Zealanders are able to live and work in Australia, and vice versa, through specially-created visas. Last year the Federal Government announced Kiwis who had been living in Australia for at least four years on a special category visa could apply for citizenship . Citizenship brings a raft of benefits, including a social security safety net, access to student loans and to work a range of public service and defence roles set aside only for Australians. Kiwis are the fourth-largest migrant community in Australia, behind China, India and the UK, according to Department of Home Affairs data. About 586,020 Kiwis were living in Australia in June 2022 - 2.9 per cent more than the number a decade earlier. Why a hardworking Kiwi couple decided to ditch New Zealand to live in Australia New Zealand couple Tim and Eva Mitchell are in midst of a year-long trip around the world, but the adventurous Kiwi couple say the only thing that made it possible was leaving their homeland to live in Australia. In 2019, the pair followed the path of thousands of Kiwis across the Tasman in search of higher wages and more career opportunities. After only 16 months of living in Melbourne , where Eva, 28, worked as an IVF pharmacist and Tim, 33, worked for the same engineering company that employed him in New Zealand, the pair had saved enough to fund a year travelling overseas. 'If we stayed in New Zealand, we probably wouldn’t be able to travel - we couldn’t have saved enough,' Eva told Daily Mail Australia from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia . 'Everyone is struggling all over the world, but in New Zealand, I think they are lagging behind.' New Zealand couple Eva and Tim Mitchell (pictured in Melbourne) said moving to Australia was the 'best thing they ever die' Better money for Kiwis who move to Australia She said by moving to Australia, the pair pulled in 30 per cent higher wages than at home, plus they found there were many other financial advantages, such as tax deductions for job expenses that just didn't exist in New Zealand. In their Make Cents of Travel blog Eva writes that the couple 'knew that moving to Australia would mean we would be able to save more money AND save money faster than if we stayed in NZ, solely by securing higher paying jobs'. 'What we didn’t realise was the many other ways that living in Australia would present to facilitate our savings goals, starting with having to pay less income tax,' she writes. 'An average Australian full-time salary of $95k requires you to pay roughly $21,300 income tax per year. 'In New Zealand, on the same salary (if you can find a job that pays the equivalent), you would be required to pay around $23,200 in income tax per year.' However, that wasn't even the best bit. 'In Australia, you are entitled to claim tax back on a variety of work expenses,' she said. The adventurous Kiwi couple have been travelling the world for a year (pictured in Cappadocia, Turket) 'These include professional fees, working from home costs, work tools, conference costs, work clothing and so much more. 'At the end of the day, we found that Australia not only pays better; it lets you keep more of what you earn.' Eva recalled when the pair moved to Australia 'everyone was saying make sure you claim your tax back'. 'As far as we were aware we were never able to claim back the same expenses in New Zealand, not in normal jobs, perhaps if you had a business,' she said. 'The grass certainly is greener.' More career opportunities Both Eva and Tim enjoyed career opportunities in Australia they would not have in New Zealand. Eva went from being a pharmacist at a public hospital in Christchurch to working for a private IVF clinic and a private-sector pharmacy job that she said did not exist in New Zealand. 'With my new job came a pay rise, bonuses and a small team where I felt valued,' she wrote in the blog. The couple said when they finish their travels in Europe and Asia they will be coming back to Australia Even if she had gone back into public sector pharmacy, the pay rise in Australia would have been substantial. Despite working for the same company, Tim also got 'a significant pay increase to transfer to Australia', which would have taken 'years' to obtain in New Zealand. 'Shortly after moving to Australia, Tim was able to secure a higher authority role, which is testament to the career progression opportunities Australian companies can provide for NZ professionals looking to relocate to Australia,' Eva wrote. 'On top of a pay rise, Tim's transfer agreement provided us both with flights to Melbourne, and a month of free accommodation in an apartment in the Melbourne CBD until we could secure our own rental property. Not a bad deal if I say so myself!' Better work life balance As if being paid more wasn't enough, Tim and Eva discovered Australians work shorter hours than Kiwis and that supermarkets are cheaper. 'The standard New Zealand working week is 40 hours (as opposed to 38 in Australia), so over the space of a whole year, it is about 100 hours difference,' Eva commented. 'It doesn't seem like much, two hours a week, but it is, and we found it convenient because it gives you time to pop into the banks when they are open.' She also said that in Victoria offers 'seasonal cashbacks on dining out, activities and electricity bills to all residents'. 'Thanks to these cashback schemes, we were reimbursed hundreds of dollars during our time spent living in Melbourne,' she writes. Eva and Tim also liked living in Melbourne, which has a population around four times the number of New Zealand's biggest city, Auckland. 'If we wanted to anything close to Melbourne's size the only option is Auckland but obviously it’s pretty expensive to be there,' Eva said. 'It is probably on a par with Melbourne, but in Melbourne you get better wages. 'You just don’t get the same opportunities. There is always something to do in Melbourne - there are always events on.' After a 10-month sojourn in Europe, the couple plan to have two more months in south-east Asia before heading home, which is now no longer in New Zealand. Be the first to comment Be one of the first to comment Comments Now have YOUR say! Share your thoughts in the comments. Comment now 'I can’t see us going back to New Zealand,' Eva said. 'Pay is a big issue. If we could get the same pay we might go back but we are still missing out on the city lifestyle.' Eva said she and Tim did have some regrets. 'We do feel guilty for leaving, we do miss our celebrations back home so we feel guilty for missing out on that,' she said. Eva said they would not have 'd eserted' their country if they 'could have looked out for us'. 'Australia has given us opportunities we just wouldn’t have in New Zealand,' she said. 'People can call us unpatriotic but we’ve just got to do what’s best for us.' New Zealand Melbourne Share or comment on this article: Reason more Kiwis than ever before are ditching New Zealand and moving to Australia e-mail Add commentTulsi Gabbard, Trump’s pick for intel chief, faces questions on Capitol Hill amid Syria falloutTulsi Gabbard, Trump’s pick for intel chief, faces questions on Capitol Hill amid Syria fallout
Jimmy Carter, the 39th US president, has died at 100Key details about the man accused of killing of UnitedHealthcare's CEO
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By LISA MASCARO and FARNOUSH AMIRI WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard faced fresh scrutiny Monday on Capitol Hill about her proximity to Russian-ally Syria amid the sudden collapse of that country’s hardline Assad rule. Gabbard ignored shouted questions about her 2017 visit to war-torn Syria as she ducked into one of several private meetings with senators who are being asked to confirm Trump’s unusual nominees . Related Articles National Politics | Trump promises to end birthright citizenship: What is it and could he do it? National Politics | Trump has flip-flopped on abortion policy. His appointees may offer clues to what happens next National Politics | In promising to shake up Washington, Trump is in a class of his own National Politics | Election Day has long passed. In some states, legislatures are working to undermine the results National Politics | Trump taps his attorney Alina Habba to serve as counselor to the president But the Democrat-turned-Republican Army National Reserve lieutenant colonel delivered a statement in which she reiterated her support for Trump’s America First approach to national security and a more limited U.S. military footprint overseas. “I want to address the issue that’s in the headlines right now: I stand in full support and wholeheartedly agree with the statements that President Trump has made over these last few days with regards to the developments in Syria,” Gabbard said exiting a Senate meeting. The incoming president’s Cabinet and top administrative choices are dividing his Republican allies and drawing concern , if not full opposition, from Democrats and others. Not just Gabbard, but other Trump nominees including Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth, were back at the Capitol ahead of what is expected to be volatile confirmation hearings next year. The incoming president is working to put his team in place for an ambitious agenda of mass immigrant deportations, firing federal workers and rollbacks of U.S. support for Ukraine and NATO allies. “We’re going to sit down and visit, that’s what this is all about,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., as he welcomed Gabbard into his office. Meanwhile, Defense Secretary pick Hegseth appeared to be picking up support from once-skeptical senators, the former Army National Guard major denying sexual misconduct allegations and pledging not to drink alcohol if he is confirmed. The president-elect’s choice to lead the FBI, Kash Patel , who has written extensively about locking up Trump’s foes and proposed dismantling the Federal Bureau of Investigation, launched his first visits with senators Monday. “I expect our Republican Senate is going to confirm all of President Trump’s nominees,” said Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., on social media. Despite widespread concern about the nominees’ qualifications and demeanors for the jobs that are among the highest positions in the U.S. government, Trump’s team is portraying the criticism against them as nothing more than political smears and innuendo. Showing that concern, nearly 100 former senior U.S. diplomats and intelligence and national security officials have urged Senate leaders to schedule closed-door hearings to allow for a full review of the government’s files on Gabbard. Trump’s allies have described the criticisms of Hegseth in particular as similar to those lodged against Brett Kavanaugh, the former president’s Supreme Court nominee who denied a sexual assault allegation and went on to be confirmed during Trump’s first term in office. Said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., about Hegseth: “Anonymous accusations are trying to destroy reputations again. We saw this with Kavanaugh. I won’t stand for it.” One widely watched Republican, Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, herself a former Army National Guard lieutenant colonel and sexual assault survivor who had been criticized by Trump allies for her cool reception to Hegseth, appeared more open to him after their follow-up meeting Monday. “I appreciate Pete Hegseth’s responsiveness and respect for the process,” Ernst said in a statement. Ernst said that following “encouraging conversations,” he had committed to selecting a senior official who will “prioritize and strengthen my work to prevent sexual assault within the ranks. As I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources.” Ernst also had praise for Patel — “He shares my passion for shaking up federal agencies” — and for Gabbard. Once a rising Democratic star, Gabbard, who represented Hawaii in Congress, arrived a decade ago in Washington, her surfboard in tow, a new generation of potential leaders. She ran unsuccessfully for president in 2020. But Gabbard abruptly left the party and briefly became an independent before joining with Trump’s 2024 campaign as one of his enthusiasts, in large part over his disdain for U.S. involvement overseas and opposition to helping Ukraine battle Russia. Her visit to Syria to meet with then-President Bashar Assad around the time of Trump’s first inauguration during the country’s bloody civil war stunned her former colleagues and the Washington national security establishment. The U.S. had severed diplomatic relations with Syria. Her visit was seen by some as legitimizing a brutal leader who was accused of war crimes. Gabbard has defended the trip, saying it’s important to open dialogue, but critics hear in her commentary echoes of Russia-fueled talking points. Assad fled to Moscow over the weekend after Islamist rebels overtook Syria in a surprise attack, ending his family’s five decades of rule. She said her own views have been shaped by “my multiple deployments and seeing firsthand the cost of war and the threat of Islamist terrorism.” Gabbard said, “It’s one of the many reasons why I appreciate President Trump’s leadership and his election, where he is fully committed, as he has said over and over, to bring about an end to wars.” Last week, the nearly 100 former officials, who served in both Democratic and Republican administrations, said in the letter to Senate leaders they were “alarmed” by the choice of Gabbard to oversee all 18 U.S. intelligence agencies. They said her past actions “call into question her ability to deliver unbiased intelligence briefings to the President, Congress, and to the entire national security apparatus.” The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to coordinate the nation’s intelligence agencies and act as the president’s main intelligence adviser. Associated Press writer Stephen Groves contributed to this report.NEW YORK (AP) — Remember what you searched for in 2024? Google does. Google released its annual “Year in Search” on Tuesday, rounding up the top trending queries entered into its namesake search engine in 2024. The results show terms that saw the highest spike in traffic compared to last year — ranging from key news events, notably global elections , to the most popular songs, athletes and unforgettable pop-culture moments that people looked up worldwide. Sports — particularly soccer and cricket — dominated Google's overall trending searches in 2024. Copa América topped those search trends globally, followed by the UEFA European Championship and ICC Men's T20 World Cup . Meanwhile, the U.S. election led news-specific searches worldwide. Queries about excessive heat and this year's Olympic Games followed. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump topped searches in Google's people category this year — followed by Catherine, Princess of Wales , U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Algerian boxer Imane Khelif , who also led athlete-specific searches. Meanwhile, the late Liam Payne , Toby Keith and O.J. Simpson led search trends among notable individuals who died in 2024. In the world of entertainment, Disney and Pixar's “Inside Out 2” was the top trending movie of the year, while Netflix's “Baby Reindeer” led TV show trends. And Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” dominated song trends. That's just the tip of the iceberg. Queries for the Olympic village's chocolate muffin , made famous by Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen over the summer games, led Google's global recipe trends this year. The New York Times' “Connections” puzzle topped game searches. And in the U.S., country-specific data shows, many people asked Google about online trends like the word “demure” and “ mob wife aesthetic .” You can find more country-specific lists, and trends from years past , through Google’s “Year in Search” data published online . The California company said it collected 2024 search results from Jan. 1 through Nov. 23 of this year. Google isn't the only one to publish an annual recap or top trends as 2024 draws to a close. Spotify Wrapped , for example, as well as Collins Dictionary and Merriam-Webster’s words of the year, have offered additional reflections for 2024.Hail Flutie: BC celebrates 40th anniversary of Miracle in Miami
WEST ISLIP, N.Y. -- A New York high school basketball team was subjected to racial slurs at a rivalry game on Long Island, according to the school's athletic director. The incident at the game between Patchogue-Medford High School and West Islip High School in Suffolk County is under investigation. "Some fans directed taunts and racial slurs at our players, an act that is both unacceptable and deeply troubling," Patchogue-Medford High School's athletic director wrote in a letter to parents after the game at West Islip. "These are extremely concerning allegations and the district is taking this matter very seriously," West Islip's superintendent said in response. Both schools' communities expressed deep disapproval at the allegations. "I think it's very sad," Suffolk County Legislator Jason Richberg said. "This is a good conversation for the school districts and us personally to have in our homes about what language is appropriate and what language is not." Nearly one-third of high schoolers across the U.S. said they experienced racism in school in 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With discrimination on the rise, experts say the research points to the need for schools to alter focus. Charvon Davis-Pierce, a former Suffolk varsity high school cheerleader, says she was a victim of discrimination during a game in 1986. "During that game, while we were cheering on the floor during the halftime, racial epithets were spewed at us, things were thrown at us," Davis-Pierce said. She has since joined the Parent Equity Team, which involves school districts across the county pledging to work together to promote respect and sportsmanship on and off the court. During her decades-long career, Jennifer McLogan has been recognized for her coverage of breaking news and live reporting on major stories.DAZN ADVANCES GLOBAL EXPANSION WITH ACQUISITION OF FOXTEL, A LEADING AUSTRALIAN SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA GROUP
Ogun recommits to entrepreneurship, doles out N1m grants to youths
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A Democratic state representative in Florida announced she was switching to the Republican Party just over a month after getting reelected—fortifying the GOP’s considerable grasp on the state’s legislature. Rep. Susan Valdés, who was recently re-elected in November for her final term representing parts of the Tampa metropolitan area, announced her party switch in a post on X on Monday, insisting she would not “waste my final two years in the Florida Legislature being ignored in a caucus whose leadership expects me to ignore the needs of my community.” Valdés’ departure from the Democratic Party comes only one week after she lost an election for chair of the Hillsborough County Democratic Party, Florida House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell said in her own statement slamming the move as a “bait-and-switch.” Before the election in November, Valdés was an outspoken critic of President-elect Donald Trump and attended local events for Kamala Harris, the Tampa Bay Times reported. She even penned an op-ed in the newspaper only a year earlier comparing the Republican-lead government of Florida to the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista in Cuba. Valdés seemed to address some of this disconnect in her statement on Monday, telling her constituents “I know I won’t agree with my fellow Republican House members on every issue, but I know that in their caucus, I will be welcomed and treated with respect.” See statement below... pic.twitter.com/JUVhsziSL7 The man arrested in connection with UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killing last week looked directly into the camera for his mugshot after being taken into custody in Altoona, Pennsylvania Monday. Luigi Mangione was photographed after being escorted by cops to his preliminary arraignment in Hollidaysburg, less than 10 miles from the city of Altoona, where he was taken into custody. He was seen in the mugshot wearing a black scarf and coat, flashing a steely-eyed stare at the camera. After a tip from a McDonald’s worker in the city, police closed in and arrested Luigi Mangione. He has been charged with five crimes, including carrying a gun without a license, forgery, falsely identifying himself to the authorities and possessing “instruments of crime,” according to The New York Times . “Responding officers questioned the suspect, who was acting suspiciously and carrying multiple fraudulent IDs as well as a U.S. passport,” New York City Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters Monday. “Upon further investigation, officers recovered a firearm on his person, as well as a suppressor, both consistent with the weapon used in the murder.” Not everyone wants to be a tipsy elf during the holidays. Increasingly, people are searching for alcohol alternatives that have relaxing benefits with fewer negative effects. That’s the intention behind Cycling Frog’s THC Seltzers. They are made with cannabis extracts for a lighter buzz than marijuana products normally offer. That makes them ideal for both experienced users and newcomers to enjoy. This season, they come in three holiday flavors, each only 60 calories with 0% alcohol. The star of the season is the Cran Razz THC Seltzer (6-Pack) , which offers 10 mg. of THC per can. That is double the amount of the other seltzers making it a great option for people with cannabis experience. An industry favorite, the Black Currant THC Seltzer, (6-Pack) received a gold medal at the 2024 LA Spirits “High Spirits” Awards. This flavor is sweet and tart with 5 mg. of THC per can. Wild Cherry THC Seltzer (6-Pack) was crafted for the holiday season. It also contains 5 mg. of THC per can with sour cherry and pear flavors. If you buy something from this post, we may earn a small commission. Beyoncé ’s mom Tina Knowles has raised eyebrows by “liking” an Instagram post reporting that her son-in-law Shawn Carter (better known as Jay-Z ) had been named in a rape lawsuit involving a 13-year-old and incarcerated former mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs , according to Page Six . The Knowles matriarch was screenshotted having tapped the heart icon on the post by ABC7 Chicago, which had a photo of Combs and Jay-Z with the headline, “Jay-Z, Diddy Named In Lawsuit Alleging Rape of Girl, 13.” Page Six was able to verify that Knowles’ official Instagram account had liked the post, but could not reach her for comment. The unexpected social media move by Knowles follows years of her supporting her daughter’s marriage to the rapper in the press . It also follows the infamous Knowles family elevator fight in 2014, in which Beyoncé’s sister Solange attacked the rapper on an elevator with Beyoncé present. That incident was never addressed publicly by Jay-Z or the family. Jay-Z has responded to the rape allegations in the new lawsuit, however, with a public statement in which he called the suit a “ blackmail attempt ” by the plaintiff’s lawyer, Tony Buzbee, and vehemently denied the claims. Pope Francis has sparked a new wave of concern for his health after appearing with a black bruise and a swollen neck at a Vatican event. Francis, who turns 88 later this month, appeared at the ceremony Saturday to appoint new cardinals. The Vatican later said in a statement that Francis had a minor fall and hit his chin on the bedside table. At the ceremony, the pontiff did not appear affected by the injury. He has struggled with health issues in the past and currently uses a wheelchair because of knee and back pain. He was hospitalized earlier this year due to breathing issues and also underwent surgery to repair an abdominal hernia. Francis’ predecessor, Pope Benedict, relinquished his post in 2013 at the age of 85, citing declining health. Benedict was the first pope in 600 years to resign. Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. As any true audiophile already knows, Amazon Music Unlimited has long been a reliable destination for an elevated listening experience. With millions of high-quality songs and an unparalleled collection of top ad-free podcasts, the platform’s catalog is curated to capture both your attention and your imagination. Now, Amazon is raising the bar with an exciting update: Audible is officially joining Amazon Music Unlimited, cementing the brand’s status as an all-in-one audio hub . Audible’s industry-leading catalog of audiobooks features an expansive selection of can’t-miss bestsellers, hot-off-the-press exclusives, and timeless classics to immerse yourself in. As an Amazon Music Unlimited subscriber, you’ll be free to select one book each month (of any length) and listen to it directly in the Amazon Music app . Whether you’re a fiction buff ready to dive into a thrilling new adventure or a non-fiction enthusiast looking to expand your horizons, Audible’s expansive collection is sure to have the right title that matches your tastes. Plus, when you’re ready to take a break from the book, you can seamlessly swap back to your favorite tunes and podcast episodes —all without having to leave the app. It’s all the audio that you’ll ever need, all in one place! Best of all, this game-changing update is arriving just in time for the holiday season: start a new subscription , and enjoy your first three months of Amazon Music Unlimited, completely for free. Audio art, conversation, and storytelling—all in one place. What’s not to love? Sign up today and get lost in the sound . Hope Walz claimed Joe Rogan fans are a relationship “red flag.” The 23-year-old daughter of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz , shared her dating tip for screening men online with her nearly 200,000 followers on TikTok. “A litmus test for me and my friends for like years now has been if the guy we’re talking to follows Joe Rogan on Instagram, they’re a red flag and we should probably stop talking to them,” Walz said on Saturday. “And the times when they do follow him on Instagram and we haven’t stopped talking to them... it’s never ended well.” Rogan, a popular and controversial podcaster, hosts an eponymous show. Men make up 80 percent of his listeners. Walz’s anti-Rogan rule, she alleged has “never failed” her and her friends. “If they follow him we’re like, yeah, this person probably isn’t a great person and probably our values don’t align so we’re gonna move on from that. And honestly it’s worked out well for all of us.” Ahead of the 2024 presidential election, Rogan hosted Donald Trump on his show, alongside a slew of MAGA loyalists. Ultimately the podcaster endorsed Trump over Kamala Harris and Walz’s father. A private funeral was being held on Monday for murdered UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson as police detained a suspect in the case, a source familiar with the family’s plans told NBC News . The suspect was first caught on surveillance cameras in Manhattan , and had evaded a massive police search. However, Pennsylvania police said they had detained a 26-year-old who was caught with a gun similar to the one used in the shooting. Investigators believe he was in the city for 10 days before the shooting, at one point lifting his mask to speak to a hostel employee. A photo from the camera capturing that moment has been circulated worldwide. Only Murders in the Building landed Golden Globe Award nominations for its three big stars—Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez—on Monday. But missing from the list was their supporting co-star Meryl Streep , who failed to extend her streak as the most nominated actor in the award show’s 80-year history. Streep, who plays Short’s on-screen (and possibly off-screen?) love interest, earned her 33rd Golden Globe nomination last year for Best Supporting Actress on the Hulu comedy. Gomez was a double nominee for her role in the Netflix film Emilia Pérez , which led in overall nominations with 10, followed by The Brutalist with seven and Conclave with six. Other big snubs included directors John M. Chu for Wicked: Part One and Denis Villeneuve for Dune: Part Two . Pamela Anderson was a surprise Best Actress nominee for The Last Showgirl , which the Baywatch star is hoping could lead to an Oscar nomination in the new year. President-elect Donald Trump launched a baffling claim Monday that " Democrats are fighting hard to get rid of the Popular Vote in future Elections." In a post on his Truth Social network, he added: “They want all future Presidential Elections to be based exclusively on the Electoral College !” In fact, the popular vote has in recent decades heavily favored Democrats and, this year, Trump became the first Republican to win the popular vote in 20 years. Democratic candidates have won the popular vote in five of the seven presidential elections in the 21st Century, losing two of those elections to Republicans who got fewer votes on a national level. Not only is there no Democratic effort to shore up the Electoral College, many prominent Democrats— including the party’s 2016 nominee for president Hillary Clinton , who won more votes than Trump but lost the Electoral College—have argued in favor of a popular vote for president. It is very likely that Trump and George W. Bush , who lost the 2000 popular vote to Al Gore, would have never been elected president were it not for the Electoral College. Scouted selects products independently. 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The charge of criminally negligent homicide would’ve put Penny behind bars for four years; the manslaughter charge had a maximum of 15 years. Penny, a former Marine, put Neely, who was homeless at the time, in a chokehold for six minutes after Neely said, “someone is going to die today,” in May 2023. No witness testified that Neely touched or made any move towards another passenger, though many testified that they were afraid of Neely during his rant. He did not have a weapon on him. Prosecutors noted that Penny kept Neely in the chokehold even after the passengers had left the train. But jurors sided with Penny’s defense—that he was justified in protecting his fellow passengers in the face of an erratic homeless man, who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and previously had over two dozen encounters with the police. The defense also questioned if it was the chokehold that killed Neely. A famously lanky English soccer legend has cast his verdict on Barron Trump’s skills after a clip of the 18-year-old playing went viral again. Peter Crouch became a household name in England for his exploits on the pitch, and for his comical appearance. Crouch, now retired, towered over his opponents quite like a young Barron, who was seen playing the sport in a resurfaced clip that is doing the rounds again. In it, Barron—who is now 6-foot-9, dwarfs the other kids on the pitch as he shows off an impressive array of skills. On X, Crouch shared the clip Sunday and simply said: “Baller.” Barron is reportedly soccer mad , and instead of boozing and chasing girls at college he spends his time playing the soccer game FC25, formerly known as FIFA. He also rubbed shoulders with another former England star, Wayne Rooney, when the Manchester United legend was managing D.C. United in the MLS. “(Donald) asked me to give his son football lessons,” Rooney said. Resurfaced video shows Barron Trump playing soccer. pic.twitter.com/Ew2DkUPFUI
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For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Ghana's former president John Dramani Mahama is set to make a stunning political comeback after the vice president conceded defeat in the presidential election overshadowed by concerns of a burgeoning economic crisis. Former vice president Mahamudu Bawumia who was running for the top job conceded the defeat on Sunday even as no official results were declared. "The people have voted for change," said Mr Bawumia, adding "Mahama has won the presidential election decisively." Mr Mahama, 65, who has a political career spanning over three decades in the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) party was the country's president from 2012 to 2017. His election victory ended the governing New... Shweta SharmaTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republicans made claims about illegal voting by noncitizens a centerpiece of their 2024 campaign messaging and plan to push legislation in the new Congress requiring voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship. Yet there's one place with a GOP supermajority where linking voting to citizenship appears to be a nonstarter: Kansas. That's because the state has been there, done that, and all but a few Republicans would prefer not to go there again. Kansas imposed a proof-of-citizenship requirement over a decade ago that grew into one of the biggest political fiascos in the state in recent memory. The law, passed by the state Legislature in 2011 and implemented two years later, ended up blocking the voter registrations of more than 31,000 U.S. citizens who were otherwise eligible to vote. That was 12% of everyone seeking to register in Kansas for the first time. Federal courts ultimately declared the law an unconstitutional burden on voting rights, and it hasn't been enforced since 2018. Kansas provides a cautionary tale about how pursuing an election concern that in fact is extremely rare risks disenfranchising a far greater number of people who are legally entitled to vote. The state’s top elections official, Secretary of State Scott Schwab, championed the idea as a legislator and now says states and the federal government shouldn't touch it. “Kansas did that 10 years ago,” said Schwab, a Republican. “It didn’t work out so well.” Steven Fish, a 45-year-old warehouse worker in eastern Kansas, said he understands the motivation behind the law. In his thinking, the state was like a store owner who fears getting robbed and installs locks. But in 2014, after the birth of his now 11-year-old son inspired him to be “a little more responsible” and follow politics, he didn’t have an acceptable copy of his birth certificate to get registered to vote in Kansas. “The locks didn’t work,” said Fish, one of nine Kansas residents who sued the state over the law. “You caught a bunch of people who didn’t do anything wrong.” A small problem, but wide support for a fix Kansas' experience appeared to receive little if any attention outside the state as Republicans elsewhere pursued proof-of-citizenship requirements this year. Arizona enacted a requirement this year, applying it to voting for state and local elections but not for Congress or president. The Republican-led U.S. House passed a proof-of-citizenship requirement in the summer and plans to bring back similar legislation after the GOP won control of the Senate in November. In Ohio, the Republican secretary of state revised the form that poll workers use for voter eligibility challenges to require those not born in the U.S. to show naturalization papers to cast a regular ballot. A federal judge declined to block the practice days before the election. Also, sizable majorities of voters in Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina and the presidential swing states of North Carolina and Wisconsin were inspired to amend their state constitutions' provisions on voting even though the changes were only symbolic. Provisions that previously declared that all U.S. citizens could vote now say that only U.S. citizens can vote — a meaningless distinction with no practical effect on who is eligible. To be clear, voters already must attest to being U.S. citizens when they register to vote and noncitizens can face fines, prison and deportation if they lie and are caught. “There is nothing unconstitutional about ensuring that only American citizens can vote in American elections,” U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, of Texas, the leading sponsor of the congressional proposal, said in an email statement to The Associated Press. Why the courts rejected the Kansas citizenship rule After Kansas residents challenged their state's law, both a federal judge and federal appeals court concluded that it violated a law limiting states to collecting only the minimum information needed to determine whether someone is eligible to vote. That's an issue Congress could resolve. The courts ruled that with “scant” evidence of an actual problem, Kansas couldn't justify a law that kept hundreds of eligible citizens from registering for every noncitizen who was improperly registered. A federal judge concluded that the state’s evidence showed that only 39 noncitizens had registered to vote from 1999 through 2012 — an average of just three a year. In 2013, then-Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, a Republican who had built a national reputation advocating tough immigration laws, described the possibility of voting by immigrants living in the U.S. illegally as a serious threat. He was elected attorney general in 2022 and still strongly backs the idea, arguing that federal court rulings in the Kansas case “almost certainly got it wrong.” Kobach also said a key issue in the legal challenge — people being unable to fix problems with their registrations within a 90-day window — has probably been solved. “The technological challenge of how quickly can you verify someone’s citizenship is getting easier,” Kobach said. “As time goes on, it will get even easier.” Would the Kansas law stand today? The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the Kansas case in 2020. But in August, it split 5-4 in allowing Arizona to continue enforcing its law for voting in state and local elections while a legal challenge goes forward. Seeing the possibility of a different Supreme Court decision in the future, U.S. Rep.-elect Derek Schmidt says states and Congress should pursue proof-of-citizenship requirements. Schmidt was the Kansas attorney general when his state's law was challenged. "If the same matter arose now and was litigated, the facts would be different," he said in an interview. But voting rights advocates dismiss the idea that a legal challenge would turn out differently. Mark Johnson, one of the attorneys who fought the Kansas law, said opponents now have a template for a successful court fight. “We know the people we can call," Johnson said. “We know that we’ve got the expert witnesses. We know how to try things like this.” He predicted "a flurry — a landslide — of litigation against this.” Born in Illinois but unable to register in Kansas Initially, the Kansas requirement's impacts seemed to fall most heavily on politically unaffiliated and young voters. As of fall 2013, 57% of the voters blocked from registering were unaffiliated and 40% were under 30. But Fish was in his mid-30s, and six of the nine residents who sued over the Kansas law were 35 or older. Three even produced citizenship documents and still didn’t get registered, according to court documents. “There wasn’t a single one of us that was actually an illegal or had misinterpreted or misrepresented any information or had done anything wrong,” Fish said. He was supposed to produce his birth certificate when he sought to register in 2014 while renewing his Kansas driver's license at an office in a strip mall in Lawrence. A clerk wouldn't accept the copy Fish had of his birth certificate. He still doesn't know where to find the original, having been born on an Air Force base in Illinois that closed in the 1990s. Several of the people joining Fish in the lawsuit were veterans, all born in the U.S., and Fish said he was stunned that they could be prevented from registering. Liz Azore, a senior adviser to the nonpartisan Voting Rights Lab, said millions of Americans haven't traveled outside the U.S. and don't have passports that might act as proof of citizenship, or don't have ready access to their birth certificates. She and other voting rights advocates are skeptical that there are administrative fixes that will make a proof-of-citizenship law run more smoothly today than it did in Kansas a decade ago. “It’s going to cover a lot of people from all walks of life,” Avore said. “It’s going to be disenfranchising large swaths of the country.” Associated Press writer Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. 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