www mnl777 net Missing Seven-Year-Old Girl In Sango-Ota FoundThe union representing striking postal workers says most provinces, including New Brunswick, turned down a free offer for its members to voluntarily deliver welfare cheques to those in need at their homes. Critics say the New Brunswick Liberal government’s decision could force hundreds, if not thousands, of the most impoverished people in rural areas to travel many kilometres to get their monthly social assistance cheques from government offices. On Friday, Premier Susan Holt told reporters at the legislature that government staff had worried the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, or CUP-W, wouldn’t deliver the Dec. 1 cheques on time. “Originally, the reason for the rejection was because of the timing. There was concern that CUP-W wouldn’t be able to deliver the cheques in as timely a way as the department felt they could, and there was an urgency to making sure those cheques were getting out to the people who need them.” In the face of criticism, the premier said the department is re-evaluating its position. “They perhaps do have the ability to deliver to the timelines that we want to see and help get those cheques to people as soon as possible. So the conversation is happening.” The day before, the minister of social development, Cindy Miles, told reporters at the legislature she didn’t know why her department had turned down the offer, but insisted that welfare recipients could visit with their case workers to get the monthly social assistance cheques in person or set up automatic bank deposits. When it was pointed out that some of people in rural New Brunswick live very far away from government offices, she said civil servants could travel to the recipients in person to deliver their cheques. The revelation about the spurned offer raised concerns in question period on Thursday, with opposition Progressive Conservative critic Margaret Johnson demanding answers. “We’re talking about serving our vulnerable populations who struggle with transportation and financial insecurity. How could the department ignore this reality?” Johnson is the Tory MLA for Carleton-Victoria, a sprawling riding in the northwest of the province. She said for many poor people, it would be tough to get to a provincial office. “For some in my riding, getting their cheques means finding a way to get from Juniper to Woodstock or Perth-Andover – that is 71 kilometres or 53 km – and then back home again,” she said Thursday in the House. “If they live in Plaster Rock, that means driving 39 km and back. If they’re in Nackawic, they have the choice of 64 km to Fredericton or 47 km to Woodstock and back home. “As I said, we’re talking about serving vulnerable populations who struggle with transportation and financial insecurity. “Gas costs money. We all know that, which is why it causes me to shake my head.” In an open letter sent to supporters last week, the CUP-W’s Atlantic national director, Jeff Callaghan, said the union’s striking postal members had delivered cheques to communities around the country, as outlined in the “Socio-Economic Cheque Memorandum of Agreement” with Canada Post. The document states that unionized workers have agreed to voluntarily process and deliver government payments to senior citizens, low-income people and others who receive pension cheques and other forms of social assistance. “Despite our offer to continue this service during the strike, there were no provincially issued cheques included in these deliveries from the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, or Prince Edward Island,” Callaghan wrote. “Canada Post reached out and offered the Socio-Economic Cheque service to all provinces and territories. Only three accepted, and one has since backed out.” Brunswick News contacted the union’s Atlantic office to learn more details, but no officials were made available. Miles provided no insight as to why the provincial government turned down the offer. “That’s something I’d have to get back to you on,” the Liberal minister told reporters on Thursday. “I don’t know what that conversation looked like. But as I said before, relationships are so important. And folks have relationships with the folks in the central office or their regional office. There will be accommodations for folks in order to receive their cheques that they so desperately need.” Miles said she’d speak with her staff about the possibility of allowing the union workers to deliver the cheques. She also said special arrangements could be made for government employees to travel to recipients who have no vehicle or gas money. “We can have staff go out and meet them where they are at.” But such a task would be a logistical nightmare if every welfare recipient wanted their cheque delivered personally to them. The latest statistics for November show that 24,709 cheques went out, helping more than 37,500 people and their families. Green Deputy Leader Megan Mitton also criticized the Liberal government’s decision to turn down the offer. “That’s unacceptable. It’s putting the burden on the most vulnerable to travel to get their cheques. I think that’s wrong.” In a news release on Wednesday, the Department of Social Development said that due to the postal strike, December’s social assistance payments had been sent to its regional offices for preparation by staff. The release also encouraged clients who do not receive their monthly payments by direct deposit to pick up a form at their local office to set it up. About 55,000 Canada Post workers went on strike Nov. 15 over wage and benefit demands. The two sides – Canada Post and The Canadian Union of Postal Workers – are said to be far apart on the issues. Negotiations broke down Wednesday.

Should the U.S. increase immigration levels for highly skilled workers?Greene to lead subcommittee taking on government spendingWINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — It wasn’t how Duke drew up the final play, but it worked out perfect for the Blue Devils in Saturday’s 23-17 victory over Wake Forest. Maalik Murphy threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Moore as time expired, allowing Duke to end the regular season with three consecutive victories. Murphy said he realized he took too long to make a decision after the last snap. “I knew at that point I had to make a play,” he said. “The damage was already done, time was ticking.” With the score tied at 17, the Blue Devils (9-3, 5-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) moved 76 yards in 1:22 after forcing a Wake Forest punt. It appeared that Duke might run out of time in the slow-developing play, but Moore improvised and broke free along the right side, caught the ball at the 10-yard line and spun into the end zone to complete a comeback from 14 points down in the second half. “The play that Maalik and Jordan put together was magical,” Duke coach Manny Diaz said. “Nobody thought a 5-yard route would turn into a (long) touchdown.” So instead of a long field-goal attempt, Duke had something better. “I just decided to take it down the field,” Moore said. “I think that’s a testament to our chemistry. ... Maalik had the confidence in himself to make that kind of play.” It resulted in Duke’s sixth victory by seven points or less. “It’s like a perfect exclamation point to our season,” Diaz said. “An unbelievable way to finish our season.” Murphy racked up with 235 yards on 26-for-34 passing. Moore, who was down with an injury after a reception earlier in the second half, made five catches for 98 yards. Hank Bachmeier threw for 207 yards and a touchdown as Wake Forest (4-8, 2-6) ended its second straight four-win season with a four-game losing streak. “A heartbreaking loss,” Demon Deacons coach Dave Clawson said. “It’s a tough way to lose a game and a tough way to end the season.” Tate Carey’s 8-yard run, Matthew Dennis’ 37-yard field goal and Horatio Fields’ 9-yard reception across 11 minutes of game time gave Wake Forest a 17-3 lead with nine minutes left in the third quarter. Duke took advantage of a short field following a punt, moving 42 yards in four plays to score on Star Thomas’ 3-yard run. The Blue Devils recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and converted on Murphy’s 2-yard run with 12:57 left to pull even. “What has been proven is that we’re mentally tough,” Diaz said. “We’re not going to do everything perfect.” Taylor Morin became Wake Forest’s all-time leader in receiving yards with 2,974. He picked up 47 yards on eight catches on Saturday. Morin, in his fifth season, passed former NFL player Ricky Proehl, who had 2,929 yards in the late 1980s. Duke: The Blue Devils have secured at least a nine-win season for the second time in three seasons, this one coming in Diaz’s first season. They racked up a 4-0 record against in-state opponents, including comebacks to top North Carolina and Wake Forest. “Every quest that we have for championships starts in our own state,” Diaz said. Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons punted on their final three possessions of the season. They finished with a 1-6 record in home games. “It’s been a tough year, a long year, and I’m proud of our team and how hard they fought,” Clawson said. Duke: Awaits a bowl invitation Wake Forest: Enters the offseason with a losing record for the third time in five seasons. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Thanksgiving is my favorite American holiday. Let me count some of the ways I love Thanksgiving: Because it isn’t very commercialized. Because it doesn’t leave out the lovelorn and the lonely. Because it has an intrinsic honesty: It’s about being grateful. Because it’s about as much extended family as most of us can take: just one day of them. Because the political class generally shuts up. It doesn’t feel necessary to make long atavistic speeches with dubious grandiloquence that no one believes, least of all the speakers. Because you don’t have to receive presents and lie to your close friends and family, “I always wanted a toy pig that burps,” or “Thank you for the lovely necktie. I’m sure they will come back into fashion in a few decades.” Because no flags or bunting appear, and most houses aren’t turned into glaring neon performance art, nor are skeletons hanging from swing sets. Because you don’t have to wear a funny hat and red or green or any other color that signals that you are in the spirit of the event. Because when I worked on the newspapers, I could volunteer and get paid double or better in overtime for a shift on Thanksgiving Day. From my arrival at New York’s Idlewild Airport in 1963, I have been able to luxuriate in America’s bounty and give thanks. It wasn’t always easy being an immigrant, even one of favored language and provenance (British), and it didn’t spare me and my English wife, Doreen, from hard times. We had those. But America remained the mansion on the high ground where, if we were lucky, we could be let in to enjoy the riches of acceptance. My first experience of the United States — and I give thanks for it — was the taxi driver who, when he learned I had hardly any money, gave me a free guided tour of Manhattan, Bronx and Brooklyn. Finally, he deposited me at an uncompromising address on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, where I was to stay while I found work and before I sent for Doreen, my cherished first wife. It was a walk-up with no air conditioning. My hosts were an English couple in their 70s: Doreen’s aunt and her husband. She helped with newborns in wealthier people’s homes well into her old age. He had worked rather unsuccessfully as an industrial jeweler. They were palpably short of money and hadn’t enjoyed an easy life since arriving in America in 1918. Their story had a fairytale, extraordinary last volume. Out on Long Island, their grandson and granddaughter were growing up with a single mother, also in straitened circumstances. She worked with seedlings in a plant nursery. The grandson was to climb to the apex of achievement, to stun his family and, in time, the world with his talent. This young man and I would swim in Long Island Sound, where we would head for anchored yachts with people partying on board. A decade older than my companion, I always believed that when they looked down on the swimmers, the partiers would invite us aboard for food and drink. It never happened, but we enjoyed our aquatic adventures and social failure. If they had only known! As I said, that young man was destined to win all that his mother and grandparents didn’t have. His name is Billy Joel, the “Piano Man.” He is someone for all in America to be thankful for — proof that in the United States, the last can be first. King is the executive producer and host of “White House Chronicle” on PBS. He wrote this for InsideSources.com . Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Here's what we know about this year's Spotify Wrapped music listening recapsWall Street's holiday cheer ended abruptly on Friday, with all three main benchmarks closing lower in a broad-based sell-off affecting even tech and growth stocks that had driven markets higher through much of the shortened trading week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 333.59 points, or 0.8%, to 42,992.21. The blue-chip index had been down more than 500 points earlier Friday. The S&P 500 lost 1.1%, and the Nasdaq dropped nearly 300 points, or 1.1%. The blue-chip Dow had fallen more than 500 points, or 1.2%, earlier Friday. Getty Images Despite Friday's travails, all three indexes finished weekly gains. The sell-off thwarted the seasonal Santa Claus rally, in which stocks traditionally rise during the last five sessions of December and the first two of January. Since 1969, the S&P 500 has climbed 1.3% on average, according to the Stock Trader's Almanac. "If nothing else, today is a reminder that just because a Santa Claus rally is a statistical likelihood, it is far from guaranteed," said... Reuters