Pressure is on the Albanese government to make headway on its long list of stalled legislation before the federal election. Housing will be back in spotlight during the final sitting week of 2024, with the Help to Buy government equity scheme and incentives for build-to-rent to be brought to a final vote in the Senate. The two housing bills have struggled to attract the support of the opposition or the Greens, with Labor knocking back fresh demands from the latter. Central to the Greens’ updated position is funding for 25,000 “shovel-ready” homes not given the go-ahead under the first round of the Housing Australia Future Fund. Labor insists the demand is unlawful and would result in the construction of million-dollar homes that are not value for money. Greens housing spokesman Max Chandler-Mather said his party had designed “a compromise offer that is popular, achievable and easy to accept, it requires no new legislation and sits broadly within government policy”. With 30 or so bills still before the parliament, the government has been ramping up pressure on the Greens and the coalition to co-operate. “This is a week where we will see the colour of the eyes of Peter Dutton and the Greens party,” Employment Minister Murray Watt told reporters on Sunday. A friendless crackdown on misinformation and disinformation has been shelved and gambling reforms have been pushed into next year. Though the government is expecting wins on its aged care reforms and its social media age limit, with the former expected to attract opposition support. Under world-first legislation, Australians younger than 16 will be banned from social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit and X (formerly Twitter). Labor will also be spruiking its Future Made in Australia plan, with its hydrogen and critical minerals production tax incentives to be introduced to parliament on Monday. Economic management will likely get some airtime after monthly inflation figures are released on Wednesday, with headline inflation expected to once again land within the Reserve Bank of Australia’s target band. But with the central bank’s preferred underlying gauge – stripped of the volatility inflicting the headline number – likely to remain above the two-three per cent band, keenly-anticipated interest rate cuts are likely to stay on ice. The federal election is due to be held by May 17.PLAINS, Ga. (AP) — Newly married and sworn as a Naval officer, Jimmy Carter left his tiny hometown in 1946 hoping to climb the ranks and see the world. Less than a decade later, the death of his father and namesake, a merchant farmer and local politician who went by “Mr. Earl,” prompted the submariner and his wife, Rosalynn, to return to the rural life of Plains, Georgia, they thought they’d escaped. The lieutenant never would be an admiral. Instead, he became commander in chief. Years after his presidency ended in humbling defeat, he would add a Nobel Peace Prize, awarded not for his White House accomplishments but “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.” The life of James Earl Carter Jr., the 39th and longest-lived U.S. president, ended Sunday at the age of 100 where it began: Plains, the town of 600 that fueled his political rise, welcomed him after his fall and sustained him during 40 years of service that redefined what it means to be a former president. With the stubborn confidence of an engineer and an optimism rooted in his Baptist faith, Carter described his motivations in politics and beyond in the same way: an almost missionary zeal to solve problems and improve lives. Carter was raised amid racism, abject poverty and hard rural living — realities that shaped both his deliberate politics and emphasis on human rights. “He always felt a responsibility to help people,” said Jill Stuckey, a longtime friend of Carter's in Plains. “And when he couldn’t make change wherever he was, he decided he had to go higher.” Carter's path, a mix of happenstance and calculation , pitted moral imperatives against political pragmatism; and it defied typical labels of American politics, especially caricatures of one-term presidents as failures. “We shouldn’t judge presidents by how popular they are in their day. That's a very narrow way of assessing them," Carter biographer Jonathan Alter told the Associated Press. “We should judge them by how they changed the country and the world for the better. On that score, Jimmy Carter is not in the first rank of American presidents, but he stands up quite well.” Later in life, Carter conceded that many Americans, even those too young to remember his tenure, judged him ineffective for failing to contain inflation or interest rates, end the energy crisis or quickly bring home American hostages in Iran. He gained admirers instead for his work at The Carter Center — advocating globally for public health, human rights and democracy since 1982 — and the decades he and Rosalynn wore hardhats and swung hammers with Habitat for Humanity. Yet the common view that he was better after the Oval Office than in it annoyed Carter, and his allies relished him living long enough to see historians reassess his presidency. “He doesn’t quite fit in today’s terms” of a left-right, red-blue scoreboard, said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who visited the former president multiple times during his own White House bid. At various points in his political career, Carter labeled himself “progressive” or “conservative” — sometimes both at once. His most ambitious health care bill failed — perhaps one of his biggest legislative disappointments — because it didn’t go far enough to suit liberals. Republicans, especially after his 1980 defeat, cast him as a left-wing cartoon. It would be easiest to classify Carter as a centrist, Buttigieg said, “but there’s also something radical about the depth of his commitment to looking after those who are left out of society and out of the economy.” Indeed, Carter’s legacy is stitched with complexities, contradictions and evolutions — personal and political. The self-styled peacemaker was a war-trained Naval Academy graduate who promised Democratic challenger Ted Kennedy that he’d “kick his ass.” But he campaigned with a call to treat everyone with “respect and compassion and with love.” Carter vowed to restore America’s virtue after the shame of Vietnam and Watergate, and his technocratic, good-government approach didn't suit Republicans who tagged government itself as the problem. It also sometimes put Carter at odds with fellow Democrats. The result still was a notable legislative record, with wins on the environment, education, and mental health care. He dramatically expanded federally protected lands, began deregulating air travel, railroads and trucking, and he put human rights at the center of U.S. foreign policy. As a fiscal hawk, Carter added a relative pittance to the national debt, unlike successors from both parties. Carter nonetheless struggled to make his achievements resonate with the electorate he charmed in 1976. Quoting Bob Dylan and grinning enthusiastically, he had promised voters he would “never tell a lie.” Once in Washington, though, he led like a joyless engineer, insisting his ideas would become reality and he'd be rewarded politically if only he could convince enough people with facts and logic. This served him well at Camp David, where he brokered peace between Israel’s Menachem Begin and Epypt’s Anwar Sadat, an experience that later sparked the idea of The Carter Center in Atlanta. Carter's tenacity helped the center grow to a global force that monitored elections across five continents, enabled his freelance diplomacy and sent public health experts across the developing world. The center’s wins were personal for Carter, who hoped to outlive the last Guinea worm parasite, and nearly did. As president, though, the approach fell short when he urged consumers beleaguered by energy costs to turn down their thermostats. Or when he tried to be the nation’s cheerleader, beseeching Americans to overcome a collective “crisis of confidence.” Republican Ronald Reagan exploited Carter's lecturing tone with a belittling quip in their lone 1980 debate. “There you go again,” the former Hollywood actor said in response to a wonky answer from the sitting president. “The Great Communicator” outpaced Carter in all but six states. Carter later suggested he “tried to do too much, too soon” and mused that he was incompatible with Washington culture: media figures, lobbyists and Georgetown social elites who looked down on the Georgians and their inner circle as “country come to town.” Carter carefully navigated divides on race and class on his way to the Oval Office. Born Oct. 1, 1924 , Carter was raised in the mostly Black community of Archery, just outside Plains, by a progressive mother and white supremacist father. Their home had no running water or electricity but the future president still grew up with the relative advantages of a locally prominent, land-owning family in a system of Jim Crow segregation. He wrote of President Franklin Roosevelt’s towering presence and his family’s Democratic Party roots, but his father soured on FDR, and Jimmy Carter never campaigned or governed as a New Deal liberal. He offered himself as a small-town peanut farmer with an understated style, carrying his own luggage, bunking with supporters during his first presidential campaign and always using his nickname. And he began his political career in a whites-only Democratic Party. As private citizens, he and Rosalynn supported integration as early as the 1950s and believed it inevitable. Carter refused to join the White Citizens Council in Plains and spoke out in his Baptist church against denying Black people access to worship services. “This is not my house; this is not your house,” he said in a churchwide meeting, reminding fellow parishioners their sanctuary belonged to God. Yet as the appointed chairman of Sumter County schools he never pushed to desegregate, thinking it impractical after the Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v. Board decision. And while presidential candidate Carter would hail the 1965 Voting Rights Act, signed by fellow Democrat Lyndon Johnson when Carter was a state senator, there is no record of Carter publicly supporting it at the time. Carter overcame a ballot-stuffing opponent to win his legislative seat, then lost the 1966 governor's race to an arch-segregationist. He won four years later by avoiding explicit mentions of race and campaigning to the right of his rival, who he mocked as “Cufflinks Carl” — the insult of an ascendant politician who never saw himself as part the establishment. Carter’s rural and small-town coalition in 1970 would match any victorious Republican electoral map in 2024. Once elected, though, Carter shocked his white conservative supporters — and landed on the cover of Time magazine — by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” Before making the jump to Washington, Carter befriended the family of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., whom he’d never sought out as he eyed the governor’s office. Carter lamented his foot-dragging on school integration as a “mistake.” But he also met, conspicuously, with Alabama's segregationist Gov. George Wallace to accept his primary rival's endorsement ahead of the 1976 Democratic convention. “He very shrewdly took advantage of his own Southerness,” said Amber Roessner, a University of Tennessee professor and expert on Carter’s campaigns. A coalition of Black voters and white moderate Democrats ultimately made Carter the last Democratic presidential nominee to sweep the Deep South. Then, just as he did in Georgia, he used his power in office to appoint more non-whites than all his predecessors had, combined. He once acknowledged “the secret shame” of white Americans who didn’t fight segregation. But he also told Alter that doing more would have sacrificed his political viability – and thus everything he accomplished in office and after. King's daughter, Bernice King, described Carter as wisely “strategic” in winning higher offices to enact change. “He was a leader of conscience,” she said in an interview. Rosalynn Carter, who died on Nov. 19 at the age of 96, was identified by both husband and wife as the “more political” of the pair; she sat in on Cabinet meetings and urged him to postpone certain priorities, like pressing the Senate to relinquish control of the Panama Canal. “Let that go until the second term,” she would sometimes say. The president, recalled her former aide Kathy Cade, retorted that he was “going to do what’s right” even if “it might cut short the time I have.” Rosalynn held firm, Cade said: “She’d remind him you have to win to govern.” Carter also was the first president to appoint multiple women as Cabinet officers. Yet by his own telling, his career sprouted from chauvinism in the Carters' early marriage: He did not consult Rosalynn when deciding to move back to Plains in 1953 or before launching his state Senate bid a decade later. Many years later, he called it “inconceivable” that he didn’t confer with the woman he described as his “full partner,” at home, in government and at The Carter Center. “We developed a partnership when we were working in the farm supply business, and it continued when Jimmy got involved in politics,” Rosalynn Carter told AP in 2021. So deep was their trust that when Carter remained tethered to the White House in 1980 as 52 Americans were held hostage in Tehran, it was Rosalynn who campaigned on her husband’s behalf. “I just loved it,” she said, despite the bitterness of defeat. Fair or not, the label of a disastrous presidency had leading Democrats keep their distance, at least publicly, for many years, but Carter managed to remain relevant, writing books and weighing in on societal challenges. He lamented widening wealth gaps and the influence of money in politics. He voted for democratic socialist Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton in 2016, and later declared that America had devolved from fully functioning democracy to “oligarchy.” Yet looking ahead to 2020, with Sanders running again, Carter warned Democrats not to “move to a very liberal program,” lest they help re-elect President Donald Trump. Carter scolded the Republican for his serial lies and threats to democracy, and chided the U.S. establishment for misunderstanding Trump’s populist appeal. He delighted in yearly convocations with Emory University freshmen, often asking them to guess how much he’d raised in his two general election campaigns. “Zero,” he’d gesture with a smile, explaining the public financing system candidates now avoid so they can raise billions. Carter still remained quite practical in partnering with wealthy corporations and foundations to advance Carter Center programs. Carter recognized that economic woes and the Iran crisis doomed his presidency, but offered no apologies for appointing Paul Volcker as the Federal Reserve chairman whose interest rate hikes would not curb inflation until Reagan's presidency. He was proud of getting all the hostages home without starting a shooting war, even though Tehran would not free them until Reagan's Inauguration Day. “Carter didn’t look at it” as a failure, Alter emphasized. “He said, ‘They came home safely.’ And that’s what he wanted.” Well into their 90s, the Carters greeted visitors at Plains’ Maranatha Baptist Church, where he taught Sunday School and where he will have his last funeral before being buried on family property alongside Rosalynn . Carter, who made the congregation’s collection plates in his woodworking shop, still garnered headlines there, calling for women’s rights within religious institutions, many of which, he said, “subjugate” women in church and society. Carter was not one to dwell on regrets. “I am at peace with the accomplishments, regret the unrealized goals and utilize my former political position to enhance everything we do,” he wrote around his 90th birthday. The politician who had supposedly hated Washington politics also enjoyed hosting Democratic presidential contenders as public pilgrimages to Plains became advantageous again. Carter sat with Buttigieg for the final time March 1, 2020, hours before the Indiana mayor ended his campaign and endorsed eventual winner Joe Biden. “He asked me how I thought the campaign was going,” Buttigieg said, recalling that Carter flashed his signature grin and nodded along as the young candidate, born a year after Carter left office, “put the best face” on the walloping he endured the day before in South Carolina. Never breaking his smile, the 95-year-old host fired back, “I think you ought to drop out.” “So matter of fact,” Buttigieg said with a laugh. “It was somehow encouraging.” Carter had lived enough, won plenty and lost enough to take the long view. “He talked a lot about coming from nowhere,” Buttigieg said, not just to attain the presidency but to leverage “all of the instruments you have in life” and “make the world more peaceful.” In his farewell address as president, Carter said as much to the country that had embraced and rejected him. “The struggle for human rights overrides all differences of color, nation or language,” he declared. “Those who hunger for freedom, who thirst for human dignity and who suffer for the sake of justice — they are the patriots of this cause.” Carter pledged to remain engaged with and for them as he returned “home to the South where I was born and raised,” home to Plains, where that young lieutenant had indeed become “a fellow citizen of the world.” —- Bill Barrow, based in Atlanta, has covered national politics including multiple presidential campaigns for the AP since 2012.777 casino withdrawal problems 。

WASHINGTON (AP) — Carmelo Pacheco's 18 points helped Mount St. Mary's defeat Howard 79-75 on Saturday. Pacheco shot 6 for 8 from beyond the arc for the Mountaineers (5-2). Dallas Hobbs shot 5 of 16 from the field, including 1 for 8 from 3-point range, and went 6 for 7 from the line to add 17 points. Terrell Ard Jr. had 16 points and shot 4 of 6 from the field and 8 of 8 from the free-throw line. Anwar Gill finished with 18 points for the Bison (3-5). Blake Harper added 15 points, seven rebounds and two steals for Howard. Joshua Strong also had 12 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .U2 bass player Adam Clayton was among those celebrating Irish legends The Blades at the weekend. The sharp-suited trio were honoured with an event in their home suburb of Ringsend hosted by Ringsend and District Historical Society, which marked their first gig at the local CYMS Hall in 1977. As well as local acts performing Blades tunes, the night ended with original members Paul Cleary, Pat Larkin, Joe Donnelly, Johnny Burke and Liam Fagan unveiling a plaque marking The Blades ' debut show. Adam Clayton also popped up on screen, sending best wishes and remembering a series of legendary double headliners The Blades and U2 played at the Baggot Inn together. Adam said: "I have very good memories of 1978 and 1979 when we played together. "You (The Blades) had your vision of how a band could sound - coming from the south of the city and we (U2) had our idea of how a band should sound, coming from the northern suburbs. "I think you guys (The Blades) were further ahead of us. You realised it had to be fun and joyful and up for it. You had this pop-soul sound. "I think it's fantastic, you're being celebrated after all these years". Blades singer Paul Cleary paid tribute to U2 for inviting The Blades to play with them at those historic Baggot Inn gigs. Paul said: "U2 paid for all the A&R men and journalists to come over and The Blades benefitted from the press. "I think U2 wanted us playing because with them because we were professional and it would make them up their game. "Contrary to legend, we never blew U2 off stage. They were the best band in Dublin back then." The sold-out event in Ringsend was curated by acclaimed Ringsend poet Thomas Gregg, who also performed his verse. Also remembered at the event was Paul Cleat's brother 'Lar' Cleary who passed away in Japan in 2018. The group became local heroes with Irish hits including Hot For You, Ghost Of A Chance, The Bride Wore White and Revelations of Heartbreak. In the late seventies, The Blades played a 6-week residency with U2 in the Baggott Inn with the bands swapping headline slots every week as both bands attempted to take their careers to the next level. The Blades play The Academy on Friday, December 13.

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Trump says he can't guarantee tariffs won't raise prices, won't rule out revenge prosecutionsThe Most Popular Stars of 'FBI: Most Wanted,' RankedSione Tuipulotu helped halt Australia’s autumn resurgence as the Scotland captain scored the opening try in an impressive 27-13 triumph over the nation of his birth. The 27-year-old Glasgow centre, who left his homeland frustrated at a lack of opportunities in 2018, was the only player on either side to cross the whitewash in the first half. It was an extra special moment for Tuipulotu as his 77-year-old Greenock-born grandmother Jaqueline Thomson – the woman by whom he is eligible for Scotland – was in the stand watching him play for his adopted nation for the first time. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. There were further tries after the break from Duhan van der Merwe, who moved back to the top of Scotland’s all-time scoring charts on 30, replacement Josh Bayliss and Finn Russell. A late score from Wallabies debutant Harry Potter reduced the deficit to 14 points, but Scotland were already cruising towards a third win in four Tests this autumn. Australia, buoyed by victories over England and Wales this month, started with intent and after being camped in the Scottish half in the early exchanges, they got the scoreboard ticking in the 11th minute when Noah Lolesio sent a close-range penalty between the posts. Having escaped with the concession of just three points from the Wallabies’ pressure, Scotland started to build their way into the game and eventually took full control. Tuipulotu breaks clear to score a try against Australia (Andrew Milligan/PA) They worked themselves a good opportunity in the 15th minute, only for Russell’s delicate kick over the top to bounce out dead before Darcy Graham was able to get on the end of it. Russell looked set to get his side off the mark in the 20th minute with a penalty from a central position 30 metres out but, normally so reliable from the tee, the stand-off’s kick came back off the right-hand post. The Scottish breakthrough came two minutes later, however, when the Wallabies were caught cold at a lineout, allowing Ewan Ashman’s long throw to find Tuipulotu, who darted in all too easily to score. Russell converted. Much of the pre-match narrative had surrounded Australia centre Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, who only made his rugby union bow earlier this month after being fast-tracked in from rugby league without having previously played a professional club game. Scotland players with the Hopetoun Cup trophy (Andres Milligan/PA) However, the much-hyped 21-year-old’s afternoon was ended prematurely when he injured himself making a tackle on Tuipulotu and had to go off after just 31 minutes. The first half generally lacked the verve many had hoped for from both sides but, on the balance of play, Scotland would have been entitled to a slight hint of disappointment at only being 7-3 ahead at the interval. The stodgy nature of proceedings continued early in the second half, with stand-offs Russell and Lolesio kicking a penalty apiece a minute apart. The home support felt aggrieved in the 49th minute when Australia full-back Tom Wright was not deemed to have committed a dangerous tackle as he blocked Scotland scrum-half Ben White, who was attempting to run on to his own kick over the top. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. But the Scots soon started to pull clear. Van der Merwe forced his way over on the left after being fed by Blair Kinghorn in the 51st minute. Russell converted. Bayliss then bounded his way over on the right in the 67th minute for his second try in successive matches, with Russell hooking his conversion wide. The Bath stand-off made amends for his errant kicking four minutes later, however, when he finished off an incisive attack for his first Scotland try since the defeat away to France in February 2023. Russell was again off target with his conversion. It mattered little as the Wallabies were already well beaten by the time wing Potter slammed down on the left, with Ben Donaldson adding the extras.

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The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. edged closer to 7% this week, climbing to its highest level since July. The rate rose to 6.84% from 6.78% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. That’s still down from a year ago, when the rate averaged 7.29%. Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners seeking to refinance their home loan to a lower rate, also ticked up this week. The average rate rose to 6.02% from 5.99% last week. A year ago, it averaged 6.67%, Freddie Mac said. When mortgage rates increase they can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers, reducing homebuyers’ purchasing power at a time when home prices remain near all-time highs, even though U.S. home sales are on track for their worst year since 1995. The average rate on a 30-year mortgage fell to a two-year low of 6.08% in late September but it’s been mostly rising since then, echoing moves in the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans. The yield, which has mostly hovered around 4.4% since last week and was below 3.70% in September, has been rising in recent weeks following mixed reports on inflation and the economy. It also surged after the presidential election, reflecting expectations among investors that President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed economic policies may widen the federal deficit and crank up inflation. Mortgage rates slid to just above 6% in September following the Federal Reserve’s decision to cut its main interest rate for the first time in more than four years. While the central bank doesn’t set mortgage rates, its actions and the trajectory of inflation influence the moves in the 10-year Treasury yield. The central bank’s policy pivot is expected to eventually clear a path for mortgage rates to generally go lower. But that could change if the next administration’s policies send inflation into overdrive again. September's pullback in mortgage rates helped drive a pickup in sales of previously occupied U.S. homes last month. However, the recent climb in rates has put a damper on the housing market in the near term, said Hannah Jones, senior economic research analyst at Realtor.com . “Mortgage rates reached the high-6% range in late October, and have remained elevated since, much to the disappointment of buyers hoping to find some relief in the late-fall housing market,” she said. Forecasting the trajectory of mortgage rates is difficult, given that rates are influenced by many factors, from government spending and the economy, to geopolitical tensions and stock and bond market gyrations. Economists predict that mortgage rates will remain volatile this year, but generally forecast them to hover around 6% in 2025.Online predators are becoming increasingly resourceful in trolling media platforms where children gravitate, prompting an explosion in police case loads, said an officer who works for the RCMP Integrated Child Exploitation Unit in British Columbia. Data show the problem spiked during COVID-19 when children began spending more time online — but rates did not wane as police anticipated after lockdowns ended. In B.C., they soared, almost quadrupling from 2021 to 2023. Const. Solana Pare is now warning exploitation of children is likely here to stay, as a technological race between police and predators gains momentum. "Technology is becoming more and more available, and online platforms and social media sites are being used by children younger and younger, which provides an opportunity for predators to connect with them," Pare said in an interview. Police say child exploitation cases in B.C. went from about 4,600 in 2021 to 9,600 in 2022 to 15,920 reports last year. The upwards trend is seen nationally, too. Statistics Canada says the rate of online child sexual exploitation reported to police rose by 58 per cent from 2019 to 2022, and police data show cases have continued to rise. The RCMP's National Child Exploitation Crime Centre reported that from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024, it received 118,162 reports of suspected online child sexual exploitation offences — a 15 per cent increase compared with the previous year. Online child sexual exploitation, Pare explained, includes offences such as sextortion, child luring and the creation or distribution of sexually explicit images of a minor. "We don't see these types of reports going away," Pare said. "We only see them increasing because the use of electronic devices and social media, and kids being online earlier and earlier is becoming more common. There's going to be more opportunity for predators to target children online." Monique St. Germain, general counsel for the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, said the most common type of child luring is communicating with a youth online in order get them to produce sexual abuse material. She said "the pandemic accelerated those types of cases, and it hasn't slowed down." "The tools (Canadian authorities) have to deal with this type of behaviour are inadequate for the scope and the scale of what's going on," she said. The rise of 'sextortion' Online exploitation gained international attention in 2015 in the case of Port Coquitlam, B.C., teenager, Amanda Todd, who died by suicide after being blackmailed and harassed online by a man for years, starting when she was 12. The month before the 15-year-old died, she uploaded a nine-minute video using a series of flash cards detailing the abuse she experienced by the stranger and how it had affected her life. It's been viewed millions of times. Dutch national Aydin Coban was extradited to Canada for trial and, in October 2022, he was convicted of charges including the extortion and harassment of Todd. Since then, the term "sextortion" has made its way into the vernacular as more cases come to light. Among them was Carson Cleland, a 12-year-old Prince George, B.C., boy who died by suicide in October 2023 after falling victim to the crime. In New Brunswick that same month, 16-year-old William Doiron took his own life after falling victim to a global sextortion scheme. Mounties across Canada have issued news releases warning of increased cases in their communities, noting that the consequences for the victims can include self-harm and suicide. St. Germain said technology, such as artificial intelligence, is also becoming more user-friendly. "The existence of that technology and its ease of use and ready accessibility is a problem, and it is going to be an increasingly large problem as we move forward," she said. Pare said police are also adapting to technological advancements in order to keep up with the ever-changing online landscape. "Police are constantly obtaining training on digital technologies to increase our knowledge and understanding of all the intricacies involving their use and how to capture any digital evidence," she said. Pare said the true rates of the crime are impossible to determine, but pointed to increased social awareness and legislation across North America around mandatory reporting of child abuse material from social media companies as a potential reason for the increase. It's not going undetected any longer, she said. "Additionally, there's been a lot of use in artificial intelligence to detect child exploitation materials within those platforms." Pare said "it's up to each individual platform" to ensure there is no child sexual abuse material on their sites or apps. "With mandatory reporting, it's putting the onus back on the electronic service providers to ensure they have measures in place to prevent this from happening, and if it is happening that it is being reported," she said. "That being said, there are times when things don't get located." That is why the Canadian Centre for Child Protection has been advocating for the adoption of the Online Harms Bill that the federal government introduced in February, St. Germain said. "It's shocking that up until now, we've relied on companies to self regulate, meaning we've just relied on them to do the right thing," she said. "What we are seeing in terms of the number of offences and in terms of all the harm that is happening in society as a result of online platforms is completely tied to the decision not to regulate. We need to have rules in any sector, and this sector is no different." 'Canada is realy behind' The Online Harms Bill covers seven types of harms, from non-consensual sharing of intimate images to content that can be used to bully a child. Earlier this month, Justice Minister Arif Virani announced the Liberal government will split the bill into two parts: dealing with keeping children safe online, and combating predators and issues related to revenge pornography. “We are putting our emphasis and prioritization and our time and efforts on the first portion of the bill,” Virani told reporters on Dec. 5. Such measures would include a new Digital Safety Commission of Canada, which would compel social media companies to outline how they plan to reduce the risks their platforms pose to users, particularly minors. It would have the power to levy fines and evaluate companies’ digital safety plans. St. Germain said such a split "makes sense," noting that most objections to the bill are related to changes to the Criminal Code and not measures around curbing harms to children. "There obviously are differences of opinion in terms of what is the best way forward, and what kind of regulatory approach makes sense, and who should the regulator be, but there does seem to be consensus on the idea that we need to do more in terms of protecting children online," she said, adding that the organization is still in support of the second half of the bill. She said the United Kingdom previously passed its own Online Safety Act that will come into effect in 2025, which includes requiring social media firms to protect children from content such as self-harm material, pornography and violent content. Failure to do so will result in fines. "Canada is really behind," she said. "The amount of information that has come out of the U.K., the amount of time and care and attention that their legislatures have paid to this issue is really quite remarkable, and we really hope that Canada steps up and does something for Canadian children soon." In the absence of national legislation, province's have filled the void. In January, B.C. enacted the Intimate Images Protection Act, providing a path for victims to have online photos, videos or deep fakes expeditiously removed. Individuals are fined up to $500 per day and websites up to $5,000 a day if they don't comply with orders to stop distributing images that are posted without consent. B.C.'s Ministry of the Attorney General said that as of Dec. 11, the Civil Resolution Tribunal had received a total of 199 disputes under the Intimate Images Protection Act. It said the Intimate Images Protection Service had served more than 240 clients impacted by the non-consensual distribution of intimate images, adding that four awards of $5,000 each and one for $3,000 had been supplied as of mid-December. Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Alberta and Saskatchewan have also enacted legislation targeting unauthorized distribution of intimate images. St. Germain said the use of provincial powers is also necessary, but it's not enough. "A piece of provincial legislation is going to be very difficult to be effective against multiple actors in multiple countries," she said, noting that the online crime is borderless. "We need something bigger — more comprehensive. We need to use all tools in the tool box." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 29, 2024.

PACS COURT UPDATE: The PACS Group, Inc. Class Action Deadline is January 13 – Investors with Losses are Urged to Contact BFA Law (NYSE:PACS)Election consequencesNone

The Centre convened an all-party meeting on Sunday ahead of the Winter Session of Parliament. Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju held the meeting with the floor leaders of political parties in both Houses of Parliament. The Winter Session of Parliament will commence on November 25 and subject to exigencies of Government Business, the session may conclude on December 20. There will be no sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on November 26 to commemorate the 'Constitution Day'. As per reports, the government has listed 16 bills, including an amendment to the Waqf Law and five new ones. The five new draft legislations include the one to set up a cooperative university, the Rashtriya Sahkari Vishwavidyalaya. The bills pending in the Lok Sabha include the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which has been listed for consideration and passage after the joint committee of the two Houses submits its report to the Lok Sabha. The panel is mandated to submit its report on the last day of the first week of the winter session. The other bill listed by the government for introduction, consideration and passage is the Punjab Courts (Amendment) Bill to enhance the pecuniary (defined as the monetary value of a case) appellate jurisdiction of Delhi district courts from the existing Rs 3 lakh to Rs 20 lakh. The Lok Sabha legislative business list for Monday includes Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to "move that the Bill further to amend the Reserve Bank of India Act,1934, the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, the State Bank of India Act, 1955, the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act, 1970 and the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act, 1980, be taken into consideration. Also to move that the Bill be passed." Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will move that "the Bill further to amend the Railway Act, 1989, be taken into consideration. Also to move that the Bill be passed." Seven ministers will lay papers on the table in the Lowe House. (With inputs from IANS) Police case against farmers for tilling land claimed by Waqf Board in K'taka Delhi Waqf Board money-laundering case: Court orders release of AAP legislator Amanatullah Khan Ahead of bypolls reports of quota for Muslims in contracts hit K'taka govt; CMO deniesAP Top 25: Alabama, Mississippi out of top 10 and Miami, SMU are in; Oregon remains unanimous No. 1 Alabama and Mississippi tumbled out of the top 10 of The Associated Press college football poll and Miami and SMU moved in following a chaotic weekend in the SEC. Oregon is No. 1 for the sixth straight week and Ohio State, Texas and Penn State held their places behind the Ducks. The shuffling begins at No. 5, where Notre Dame returned for the first time since Week 2 after beating Army for its ninth straight win. No. 6 Georgia and No. 7 Tennessee each moved up two spots. Miami, SMU and Indiana round out the top 10. Jannik Sinner leads Italy past the Netherlands for its second consecutive Davis Cup title MALAGA, Spain (AP) — Jannik Sinner clinched Italy's second consecutive Davis Cup title and capped his breakthrough season at the top of tennis by beating Tallon Griekspoor 7-6 (2), 6-2 for a 2-0 win over the Netherlands in the final of the team competition in Malaga, Spain. Matteo Berrettini won Sunday's opening singles match 6-4, 6-2 against Botic van de Zandschulp. The Italians are the first country to win the Davis Cup twice in a row since the Czech Republic in 2012 and 2013. The No. 1-ranked Sinner stretched his unbeaten streak in singles to 14 matches and 26 sets. Netherlands reached the Davis Cup final for the first time. Chuck Woolery, smooth-talking game show host of 'Love Connection' and 'Scrabble,' dies at 83 NEW YORK (AP) — Chuck Woolery, the affable, smooth-talking game show host of “Wheel of Fortune,” “Love Connection” and “Scrabble” who later became a right-wing podcaster, skewering liberals and accusing the government of lying about COVID-19, has died. He was 83. Mark Young, Woolery’s podcast co-host and friend, said in an email early Sunday that Woolery died at his home in Texas with his wife, Kristen, present. Woolery, with his matinee idol looks, coiffed hair and ease with witty banter, was inducted into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in 2007 and earned a daytime Emmy nomination in 1978. He teamed up with Young for the podcast “Blunt Force Truth” and became a full supporter Donald Trump. St. Louis Blues fire Drew Bannister and hire Jim Montgomery as coach The St. Louis Blues have fired coach Drew Bannister and hired Jim Montgomery as his replacement. The 2022 Jack Adams Award winner, Montgomery joins the Blues five days after he was fired by the Boston Bruins. Bannister had been on the job in St. Louis for less than a year since succeeding Stanley Cup-winning coach Craig Berube and getting the interim tag removed after last season. The Blues have lost 13 of their first 22 games. Montgomery spent two seasons as an assistant on Berube's staff in St. Louis between coaching Dallas and Boston. The team signed Montgomery to a five-year contract. Rico Carty, who won the 1970 NL batting title with the Atlanta Braves, dies at 85 Rico Carty, who won the 1970 NL batting title when he hit a major league-best .366 for the Atlanta Braves, has died. He was 85. Major League Baseball, the players’ association and the Braves have paid tribute to Carty on social media. A family friend told Listín Diario — a newspaper in Carty’s native Dominican Republic — that he died Saturday night in an Atlanta hospital. Carty made his big league debut with the Braves in September 1963. He batted .330 with 22 homers and 88 RBIs in his first full season in 1964, finishing second to Dick Allen in voting for NL Rookie of the Year. The Braves moved from Milwaukee to Atlanta after the 1965 season, and Carty got the franchise’s first hit in its new home on April 12, 1966, against Pittsburgh. Dartmouth sorority, two members of fraternity face charges after student who attended party drowned HANOVER, N.H. (AP) — A sorority at Dartmouth College and two members of a fraternity faces charges related to the death of a student who drowned after attending an off-campus party. The Hanover, New Hampshire police department, where Dartmouth is located, said Friday that Alpha Phi was charged with one count of facilitating an underage alcohol house. Two members of the Beta Alpha Omega face a charge of providing alcohol to a person under 21. Won Jang, 20, of Middletown, Delaware, had attended an off-campus party in July hosted by Alpha Phi sorority. Police said the alcohol was provided by Beta Alpha Omega. Tens of thousands of Spaniards protest housing crunch and high rents in Barcelona BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Tens of thousands of Spaniards are marching in downtown Barcelona 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." 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. The average rent for Spain has doubled in the last decade. In cities like Barcelona, rental prices have also been driven up by short-term renters including tourists. Verstappen captures 4th F1 championship after Mercedes sweep of Las Vegas Grand Prix LAS VEGAS (AP) — Max Verstappen cruised to a fourth consecutive Formula 1 championship Saturday night by finishing fifth in the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Verstappen needed only to finish ahead of Lando Norris of McLaren to give Red Bull a fourth straight driver championship. The Dutchman started fifth but was already up to second by the 10th lap around the street circuit that includes the famed Las Vegas Strip. Norris, who had to score at least three points more than Verstappen to extend the championship fight, finished sixth. The race was won by George Russell who was followed by Lewis Hamilton in the first 1-2 sweep for the Mercedes drivers since 2022. 'Wicked' and 'Gladiator' make gravity-defying theater debuts NEW YORK (AP) — “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” have debuted in theaters with a combined $270 million in ticket sales. Their worldwide performance breathed fresh life into global box office results that have struggled lately. Together the films turned the moviegoing weekend into one of the busiest of the year. Jon M. Chu’s lavish big-budget musical “Wicked,” starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, debuted with $114 million domestically and $164.2 million globally. Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II” is a sequel to his 2000 best picture-winning original and launched with $55.5 million in ticket sales. “Moana 2” is being released Wednesday, so it looks like Hollywood might be looking at historic sales over the Thanksgiving holiday. Jason Kelce's wife announces she is pregnant with the couple's fourth child Former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce's wife is announcing she's pregnant with the couple's fourth child. Kylie Kelce posted a photo on Instagram on Friday of the couple's three young daughters reacting to the news. The oldest daughter, Wyatt, appears to be cupping her head in shock. The middle daughter, Ellioette, is smiling. The youngest, Bennett, is in tears. A caption attached to the photo reads: “I feel like we captured a very accurate representation of how each of the girls feel about getting another sister. At least Ellie, mom and dad are on the same page!”

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NEW YORK, Dec. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading securities law firm Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP announces that a lawsuit has been filed against PACS Group, Inc. (NYSE: PACS) and certain of the Company’s senior executives for potential violations of the federal securities laws. If you invested in PACS, you are encouraged to obtain additional information by visiting : https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/pacs-group-inc . Investors have until January 13, 2025, to ask the Court to be appointed to lead the case. The complaint asserts claims under Sections 11 and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933 and Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on behalf of investors in PACS securities. The case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and is captioned Manchin v. PACS Group, Inc. , et al. , No. 24-cv-08636. What is the PACS Lawsuit About? The Complaint alleges that PACS is one of the largest operators of skilled nursing facilities in the United States. As alleged, PACS repeatedly represented to shareholders that it possesses a winning “turnaround” strategy to make its nursing facilities profitable. However, in truth, it is alleged that PACS’s turnaround was driven by illicitly accessing Medicare benefits for thousands of patients. On November 4, 2024, prominent investment research firm Hindenburg Research published a report titled: “PACS Group: How to Become A Billionaire In The Skilled Nursing Industry By Systematically Scamming Taxpayers.” After a 5-month investigation that included interviews with 18 former PACS employees, competitors, and an analysis of more than 900 PACS facility cost reports, Hindenburg alleged that “PACS abused a COVID-era waiver, inappropriately accessing skilled care Medicare benefits for thousands of patients across its national portfolio of facilities.” Hindenburg further estimated that “the scheme drove more than 100% of PACS’ operating and net income from 2020 – 2023, enabling PACS to IPO in early 2024 with the illusion of legitimate growth and profitability.” On November 6, 2024, PACS then announced that it was postponing its Q3 earnings and that it had “received civil investigative demands from the federal government regarding the Company’s reimbursement and referral practices that may or may not be related to this week’s third-party report.” The news caused a significant decline in the price of PACS stock. On November 4, 2024, the price of the company’s stock fell 27.8%, from a closing price of $42.94 per share on November 1, 2024, to $31.01 per share on November 4, 2024. On November 6, 2024, the price of the company’s stock fell 38.8%, from a closing price of $29.54 per share on November 5, 2024, to $18.09 per share on November 6, 2024. Click here if you Suffered Losses: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/pacs-group-inc . What Can You Do? If you invested in PACS you may have legal options and are encouraged to submit your information to the firm. All representation is on a contingency fee basis, there is no cost to you. Shareholders are not responsible for any court costs or expenses of litigation. The firm will seek court approval for any potential fees and expenses. Submit your information by visiting: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/pacs-group-inc Or contact: Ross Shikowitz ross@bfalaw.com 212-789-3619 Why Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP? Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP is a leading international law firm representing plaintiffs in securities class actions and shareholder litigation. It was named among the Top 5 plaintiff law firms by ISS SCAS in 2023 and its attorneys have been named Titans of the Plaintiffs’ Bar by Law360 and SuperLawyers by Thompson Reuters. Among its recent notable successes, BFA recovered over $900 million in value from Tesla, Inc.’s Board of Directors (pending court approval), as well as $420 million from Teva Pharmaceutical Ind. Ltd. For more information about BFA and its attorneys, please visit https://www.bfalaw.com . https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/pacs-group-inc Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.COLUMBUS, Ohio — A fight broke out at midfield after Michigan stunned No. 2 Ohio State 13-10 on Saturday as Wolverines players attempted to plant their flag and were met by Buckeyes who confronted them. Police had to use pepper spray to break up the players, who threw punches and shoves in the melee that overshadowed the rivalry game. Ohio State police said in a statement “multiple officers representing Ohio and Michigan deployed pepper spray.” Ohio State police will investigate the fight, according to the statement. After the Ohio State players confronted their bitter rivals at midfield, defensive end Jack Sawyer grabbed the top of the Wolverines’ flag and ripped it off the pole as the brawl moved toward the Michigan bench. Eventually, police officers rushed into the ugly scene. Ohio State coach Ryan Day said he understood the actions of his players. “There are some prideful guys on our team who weren’t going to sit back and let that happen,” Day said. The two Ohio State players made available after the game brushed off questions about it. Michigan running back Kalel Mullings, who rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown, didn’t like how the Buckeyes players involved themselves in the Wolverines’ postgame celebration. He called it “classless.” “For such a great game, you hate to see stuff like that after the game,” he said in an on-field interview with Fox Sports. “It’s just bad for the sport, bad for college football. But at the end of the day, you know some people got to — they got to learn how to lose, man. ... We had 60 minutes, we had four quarters, to do all that fighting.” Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said everybody needs to do better. “So much emotions on both sides,” he said. “Rivalry games get heated, especially this one. It’s the biggest one in the country, so we got to handle that better.”WEBER STATE 68, PEPPERDINE 53Malik Nabers: Giants Were 'Soft as F--k' in Bucs Loss; I'm 'Tired of Losing'

DeVito completed 21-of-31 passes for 189 yards without a touchdown or turnover. He added 32 rushing yards on seven carries.

AP Sports SummaryBrief at 6:40 p.m. ESTTarleton St. 61, Hofstra 59

Snowfall records broken as Calgary transit detours remain in effect