baccarat tableau Almost a month into the strike by 55,000 workers at Canada Post there’s still no apparent end in sight. There are no scheduled talks, the federal government declined yet again to get involved, and the Crown corporation continued to trade barbs with the Canadian Union of Postal Employees (CUPW). Late Tuesday afternoon the company said the union’s latest proposal would add $2.9 billion to Canada Post’s costs over the next four years. “We’ve reviewed the union’s demands and they are unaffordable and unsustainable, adding billions of dollars in long-term fixed costs and further restricting out ability to compete in today’s parcel market,” Canada Post spokesperson Jon Hamilton said. The union proposal, delivered through a federally-appointed arbitrator Monday, lowered wage demands to a 19 per cent increase over four years from the previous 24. It also included a 20-hour per week guarantee for part-time workers. CUPW didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the company’s cost estimate Tuesday, but in a memo to members, it denied Canada Post’s assertion that its latest proposal had widened the gap between the two sides. “Far from trying to ‘widen the gap’ in negotiations, the union’s intention is to help the parties come to negotiated agreements. CUPW wants nothing more than for its members to have good collective agreements, with their rights protected,” the memo said. In an emailed statement Tuesday, a spokesperson for federal labour minister Steven MacKinnon urged the two sides to get back to bargaining, reiterating the government’s stance that it wouldn’t use back to work legislation or refer the dispute to the Canada Industrial Relations Board for binding arbitration. “Canada Post and CUPW need to reach a deal to put an end to their dispute. In order to do that, parties must get back to the negotiating table and be ready to resume talks. Canadians are counting on them,” said MacKinnon spokesperson Matthieu Perrotin. “Negotiated agreements are always the best way forward.” A series of back-and-forth proposals began last Sunday, after the union and Canada Post received a stern, . Still, no formal mediation had taken place since Nov. 28, , saying the two sides were too far apart to reach a deal. The strike began Nov. 15. Canada Post has previously said it offered wage increases totalling 11.5 per cent over four years and additional paid leave, while protecting the defined benefit pension and job security provisions. The union had called for a cumulative wage hike of 24 per cent over four years, as well as suggesting that Canada Post expand into banking. The company is seeking to provide weekend deliveries and have a greater share of its staff working part-time. The union wants full-time workers to do weekend delivery, while the company wants to hire part-time staff to do the job. Unlike other high-profile contract disputes this year, in which the government asked the CIRB to order binding arbitration under Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code, the government doesn’t appear eager to intervene this time around, labour relations experts say. And those earlier interventions — in a nationwide lockout of rail workers, and in port worker disputes — are likely part of the reason the Canada Post strike has gone on so long, said Stephanie Ross, a labour studies professor at McMaster University. “There’s this narcotic effect on the parties when governments intervene. It dulls the pointy end of the stick — they don’t have to find where the compromises are,” said Ross. If anything, said Ross, there’s even more ample reason for the federal government to intervene in this strike, because it’s an existential crisis for both sides; Canada Post insists it needs flexibility, while the union is trying to avoid what it believes would be a two-tier labour force, with vast numbers of low-paid part-timers. Unlike in the rail and dock workers disputes, however, neither side in this dispute supports binding arbitration, said Brock University labour studies professor Larry Savage. “Do they only intervene when management asks for it? That’s what it looks like,” said Savage. And, added McMaster’s Ross, it’s a political hot potato: The minority Liberal government is being propped up by the labour-friendly NDP and Bloc Québécois, so it is reluctant to intervene. And the poll-leading Conservatives are likely content to see the strike continue because it could damage Liberal poll numbers even more, Ross said. “There’s a political impasse as much as there’s a bargaining impasse,” Ross said.Supreme Court will take up a challenge related to California's tough vehicle emissions standards WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court says it will take up a business-backed appeal that could make it easier to challenge federal regulations, acting in a dispute related to California’s nation-leading standards for vehicle emissions. The justices agreed Friday to hear an appeal filed by fuel producers who object to a waiver granted to California in 2022 by the Environmental Protection Agency during Joe Biden’s presidency. The waiver allows California to set more stringent emissions limits than the national standard. The case won’t be argued until the spring, when the Trump administration is certain to take a more industry-friendly approach to the issue. Musk says US is demanding he pay penalty over disclosures of his Twitter stock purchases DETROIT (AP) — Elon Musk says the Securities and Exchange Commission wants him to pay a penalty or face charges involving what he disclosed — or failed to disclose — about his purchases of Twitter stock before he bought the social media platform in 2022. In a letter, Musk’s lawyer Alex Spiro tells the outgoing SEC chairman, Gary Gensler, that the commission’s demand for a monetary payment is a “misguided scheme” that won’t intimidate Musk. The letter also alleges that the commission reopened an investigation this week into Neuralink, Musk’s computer-to-human brain interface company. The SEC has not released the letter. Nor would it comment on it or confirm whether it has issued such a demand to Musk. Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is pushing toward a vote on legislation that would provide full Social Security benefits to millions of people. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer began the process on Thursday for a final vote on the bill, known as the Social Security Fairness Act. It would eliminate policies that currently limit Social Security payouts for roughly 2.8 million people. The legislation has passed the House. The bill would add more strain on the Social Security Trust funds, which are already estimated to be unable to pay out full benefits beginning in 2035. The measure would add an estimated $195 billion to federal deficits over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Trump offers support for dockworkers union by saying ports shouldn't install more automated systems WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is offering his support for the dockworkers union before their contract expires next month at Eastern and Gulf Coast ports. He posted on social media Thursday that he met with union leaders and that any further “automation” of the ports would harm workers. He wrote that the “amount of money saved is nowhere near the distress, hurt, and harm it causes for American Workers.” The International Longshoremen’s Association has until Jan. 15 to negotiate a new contract with the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents ports and shipping companies. The Maritime Alliance says the technology will improve worker safety and strengthen our supply chains, among other things. IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power WASHINGTON (AP) — IRS leadership on Thursday announced that the agency has recovered $4.7 billion in back taxes and proceeds from a variety of crimes. The announcement comes under the backdrop of a promised reckoning from Republicans who will hold a majority over both chambers of the next Congress and have long called for rescinding the tens of billions of dollars in funding provided to the agency by Democrats. IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said improvements made to the agency will help the incoming administration and new Republican majority congress achieve its goals of administering an extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. OpenAI's legal battle with Elon Musk reveals internal turmoil over avoiding AI 'dictatorship' A 7-year-old rivalry between tech leaders Elon Musk and Sam Altman over who should run OpenAI and best avoid an artificial intelligence ‘dictatorship’ is now heading to a federal judge as Musk seeks to halt the ChatGPT maker’s ongoing conversion into a for-profit company. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year. Musk has since escalated the dispute, adding new claims and asking for a court order that would stop OpenAI’s plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully. OpenAI is filing its response Friday. OpenAI's Altman will donate $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund LOS ANGELES (AP) — OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is planning to make a $1 million personal donation to President-Elect Donald Trump’s inauguration fund, joining a number of tech companies and executives who are working to improve their relationships the incoming administration. A spokesperson for OpenAI confirmed the move on Friday. The announcement comes one day after Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said it donated $1 million to the same fund. Amazon also said it plans to donate $1 million. China signals it's prepared to double down on support for the economy as Trump tariffs loom BANGKOK (AP) — Chinese leaders met this week to plot economic policy for the coming year and sketched out plans to raise government spending and relax Beijing's monetary policy. Analysts said the broad-brush plans from the annual Central Economic Work Conference were more of a recap of current policy than ambitious new initiatives at a time when the outlook is clouded by the President-elect Donald Trump's threats to sharply raise tariffs once he takes office. The ruling Communist Party did commit to raising China's deficit and to doing more to encourage consumer spending by bringing wage increases in line with the pace of economic growth. Here's a look at China's main priorities and their potential implications. Stock market today: Wall Street slips at the end of a bumpy week Stocks slipped as Wall Street closes out a rare bumpy week. The S&P 500 was up less than 0.1% in afternoon trading Friday and headed for a weekly loss. The benchmark index hit its latest in a string of records a week ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 58 points. The Nasdaq composite was up 0.1%. Broadcom surged after the semiconductor company beat Wall Street’s profit targets and gave a glowing forecast, highlighting its artificial intelligence products. Treasury yields edged higher in the bond market. European markets were mostly lower and Asian markets mostly fell. Next Week: Retail sales, Fed policy update, existing home sales The Commerce Department releases its monthly snapshot of U.S. retail sales Tuesday. Federal Reserve officials wrap up a two-day meeting and issue an interest rate policy update Wednesday. The National Association of Realtors issues its latest update on U.S. home sales Thursday.

By MICHELLE L. PRICE and ROB GILLIES NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s recent dinner with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his visit to Paris for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral were not just exercises in policy and diplomacy. They were also prime trolling opportunities for Trump. Related Articles National Politics | Trump names Andrew Ferguson as head of Federal Trade Commission to replace Lina Khan National Politics | Biden says he was ‘stupid’ not to put his name on pandemic relief checks like Trump did National Politics | Biden issues veto threat on bill expanding federal judiciary as partisan split emerges National Politics | Trump lawyers and aide hit with 10 additional felony charges in Wisconsin over 2020 fake electors National Politics | After withdrawing as attorney general nominee, Matt Gaetz lands a talk show on OANN television Throughout his first term in the White House and during his campaign to return, Trump has spun out countless provocative, antagonizing and mocking statements. There were his belittling nicknames for political opponents, his impressions of other political figures and the plentiful memes he shared on social media. Now that’s he’s preparing to return to the Oval Office, Trump is back at it, and his trolling is attracting more attention — and eyerolls. On Sunday, Trump turned a photo of himself seated near a smiling first lady Jill Biden at the Notre Dame ceremony into a social media promo for his new perfume and cologne line, with the tag line, “A fragrance your enemies can’t resist!” The first lady’s office declined to comment. When Trudeau hastily flew to Florida to meet with Trump last month over the president-elect’s threat to impose a 25% tax on all Canadian products entering the U.S., the Republican tossed out the idea that Canada become the 51st U.S. state. The Canadians passed off the comment as a joke, but Trump has continued to play up the dig, including in a post Tuesday morning on his social media network referring to the prime minister as “Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada.” After decades as an entertainer and tabloid fixture, Trump has a flair for the provocative that is aimed at attracting attention and, in his most recent incarnation as a politician, mobilizing fans. He has long relished poking at his opponents, both to demean and minimize them and to delight supporters who share his irreverent comments and posts widely online and cheer for them in person. Trump, to the joy of his fans, first publicly needled Canada on his social media network a week ago when he posted an AI-generated image that showed him standing on a mountain with a Canadian flag next to him and the caption “Oh Canada!” After his latest post, Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller said Tuesday: “It sounds like we’re living in a episode of South Park.” Trudeau said earlier this week that when it comes to Trump, “his approach will often be to challenge people, to destabilize a negotiating partner, to offer uncertainty and even sometimes a bit of chaos into the well established hallways of democracies and institutions and one of the most important things for us to do is not to freak out, not to panic.” Even Thanksgiving dinner isn’t a trolling-free zone for Trump’s adversaries. On Thanksgiving Day, Trump posted a movie clip from “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” with President Joe Biden and other Democrats’ faces superimposed on the characters in a spoof of the turkey-carving scene. The video shows Trump appearing to explode out of the turkey in a swirl of purple sparks, with the former president stiffly dancing to one of his favorite songs, Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” In his most recent presidential campaign, Trump mocked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, refusing to call his GOP primary opponent by his real name and instead dubbing him “Ron DeSanctimonious.” He added, for good measure, in a post on his Truth Social network: “I will never call Ron DeSanctimonious ‘Meatball’ Ron, as the Fake News is insisting I will.” As he campaigned against Biden, Trump taunted him in online posts and with comments and impressions at his rallies, deriding the president over his intellect, his walk, his golf game and even his beach body. After Vice President Kamala Harris took over Biden’s spot as the Democratic nominee, Trump repeatedly suggested she never worked at McDonalds while in college. Trump, true to form, turned his mocking into a spectacle by appearing at a Pennsylvania McDonalds in October, when he manned the fries station and held an impromptu news conference from the restaurant drive-thru. Trump’s team thinks people should get a sense of humor. “President Trump is a master at messaging and he’s always relatable to the average person, whereas many media members take themselves too seriously and have no concept of anything else other than suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome,” said Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director. “President Trump will Make America Great Again and we are getting back to a sense of optimism after a tumultuous four years.” Though both the Biden and Harris campaigns created and shared memes and launched other stunts to respond to Trump’s taunts, so far America’s neighbors to the north are not taking the bait. “I don’t think we should necessarily look on Truth Social for public policy,” Miller said. Gerald Butts, a former top adviser to Trudeau and a close friend, said Trump brought up the 51st state line to Trudeau repeatedly during Trump’s first term in office. “Oh God,” Butts said Tuesday, “At least a half dozen times.” “This is who he is and what he does. He’s trying to destabilize everybody and make people anxious,” Butts said. “He’s trying to get people on the defensive and anxious and therefore willing to do things they wouldn’t otherwise entertain if they had their wits about them. I don’t know why anybody is surprised by it.” Gillies reported from Toronto. Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.WASHINGTON (AP) — A machinists strike. Another safety problem involving its troubled top-selling airliner. A plunging stock price. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * WASHINGTON (AP) — A machinists strike. Another safety problem involving its troubled top-selling airliner. A plunging stock price. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? WASHINGTON (AP) — A machinists strike. Another safety problem involving its troubled top-selling airliner. A plunging stock price. 2024 was already a dispiriting year for Boeing, the American aviation giant. But when one of the company’s jets crash-landed in South Korea on Sunday, killing all but two of the 181 people on board, it brought to a close an especially unfortunate year for Boeing. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, and aviation experts were quick to distinguish Sunday’s incident from the company’s earlier safety problems. Alan Price, a former chief pilot at Delta Air Lines who is now a consultant, said it would be inappropriate to link the incident Sunday to two fatal crashes involving Boeing’s troubled 737 Max jetliner in 2018 and 2019. In January this year, a door plug blew off a 737 Max while it was in flight, raising more questions about the plane. The Boeing 737-800 that crash-landed in Korea, Price noted, is “a very proven airplane. “It’s different from the Max ...It’s a very safe airplane.’’ For decades, Boeing has maintained a role as one of the giants of American manufacturing. But the the past year’s repeated troubles have been damaging. The company’s stock price is down more than 30% in 2024. The company’s reputation for safety was especially tarnished by the 737 Max crashes, which occurred off the coast of Indonesia and in Ethiopia less than five months apart in 2018 and 2019 and left a combined 346 people dead. In the five years since then, Boeing has lost more than $23 billion. And it has fallen behind its European rival, Airbus, in selling and delivering new planes. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Last fall, 33,000 Boeing machinists went on strike, crippling the production of the 737 Max, the company’s bestseller, the 777 airliner and 767 cargo plane. The walkout lasted seven weeks, until members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers agreed to an offer that included 38% pay raises over four years. In January, a door plug blew off a 737 Max during an Alaska Airlines flight. Federal regulators responded by imposing limits on Boeing aircraft production that they said would remain in place until they felt confident about manufacturing safety at the company. In July, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud for deceiving the Federal Aviation Administration regulators who approved the 737 Max. Acting on Boeing’s incomplete disclosures, the FAA approved minimal, computer-based training instead of more intensive training in flight simulators. Simulator training would have increased the cost for airlines to operate the Max and might have pushed some to buy planes from Airbus instead. (Prosecutors said they lacked evidence to argue that Boeing’s deception had played a role in the crashes.) But the plea deal was rejected this month by a federal judge in Texas, Reed O’Connor, who decided that diversity, inclusion and equity or DEI policies in the government and at Boeing could result in race being a factor in choosing an official to oversee Boeing’s compliance with the agreement. Boeing has sought to change its culture. Under intense pressure over safety issues, David Calhoun departed as CEO in August. Since January, 70,000 Boeing employees have participated in meetings to discuss ways to improve safety. Advertisement Advertisement

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A scruffy little fugitive is on the lam again in New Orleans, gaining fame as he outwits a tenacious band of citizens armed with night-vision binoculars, nets and a tranquilizer rifle. Scrim, a 17-pound mutt that's mostly terrier, has become a folk hero, inspiring tattoos, T-shirts and even a ballad as he eludes capture from the posse of volunteers. And like any antihero, Scrim has a backstory: Rescued from semi-feral life at a trailer park and adopted from a shelter, the dog broke loose in April and scurried around the city until he was cornered in October and brought to a new home. Weeks later, he'd had enough. Scrim leaped out of a second-story window, a desperate act recorded in a now-viral video. Since then, despite a stream of daily sightings, he's roamed free. The dog’s fans include Myra and Steve Foster, who wrote “Ode to Scrim” to the tune of Ricky Nelson’s 1961 hit, “I’m a Travelin’ Man.” Leading the recapture effort is Michelle Cheramie, a 55-year-old former information technology professional. She lost everything — home, car, possessions — in Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and in the aftermath, found her calling rescuing pets. “I was like, ‘This is what I should be doing,’” Cheramie said. “I was born to rescue.” She launched Zeus’ Rescues, a nonprofit shelter that now averages 600 cat and dog adoptions a year and offers free pet food to anyone who needs it. She helped Scrim find the home he first escaped from. It was Cheramie's window Scrim leaped from in November. She's resumed her relentless mission since then, posting flyers on telephone poles and logging social media updates on his reported whereabouts. She's invested thousands of dollars on wildlife cameras, thermal sensors and other gear. She took a course offered by the San Diego Zoo on the finer points of tranquilizing animals. And she's developed a network of volunteers — the kind of neighbors who are willing to grid-search a city at 3 a.m. People like writer David W. Brown, who manages a crowd-sourced Google Map of all known Scrim sightings. He says the search has galvanized residents from all walks of life to come together. As they search for Scrim, they hand out supplies to people in need. “Being a member of the community is seeing problems and doing what you can to make life a little better for the people around here and the animals around you,” Brown said. And neighbors like Tammy Murray, who had to close her furniture store and lost her father to Parkinson's disease. This search, she says, got her mojo back. “Literally, for months, I’ve done nothing but hunt this dog,” said Murray, 53. “I feel like Wile E. Coyote on a daily basis with him.” Murray drives the Zeus' Rescues' van towards reported Scrim sightings. She also handles a tactical net launcher, which looks like an oversized flashlight and once misfired, shattering the van's window as Scrim sped away. After realizing Scrim had come to recognize the sound of the van's diesel engine, Murray switched to a Vespa scooter, for stealth. Near-misses have been tantalizing. The search party spotted Scrim napping beneath an elevated house, and wrapped construction netting around the perimeter, but an over-eager volunteer broke ranks and dashed forward, leaving an opening Scrim slipped through. Scrim's repeated escapades have prompted near-daily local media coverage and a devoted online following. Cheramie can relate. “We’re all running from something or to something. He's doing that too,” she said. Cheramie's team dreams of placing the pooch in a safe and loving environment. But a social media chorus growing under the hashtag #FreeScrim has other ideas — they say the runaway should be allowed a life of self-determination. The animal rescue volunteers consider that misguided. “The streets of New Orleans are not the place for a dog to be free,” Cheramie said. “It’s too dangerous.” Scrim was a mess when Cheramie briefly recaptured him in October, with matted fur, missing teeth and a tattered ear. His trembling body was scraped and bruised, and punctured by multiple projectiles. A vet removed one, but decided against operating to take out a possible bullet. The dog initially appeared content indoors, sitting in Cheramie's lap or napping beside her bed. Then while she was out one day, Scrim chewed through a mesh screen, dropped 13 feet to the ground and squeezed through a gap in the fence, trotting away. Murray said Cheramie's four cats probably spooked him. “I wholeheartedly believe the gangster-ass cats were messing with him,” Murray said. Cheramie thinks they may have gotten territorial. Devastated but undeterred, the pair is reassessing where Scrim might fit best — maybe a secure animal sanctuary with big outdoor spaces where other dogs can keep him company. Somewhere, Murray says, “where he can just breathe and be.” Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Brook on the social platform X: @jack_brook96

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) — Jordan Roberts scored 19 points as Texas A&M-Corpus Christi beat Schreiner 103-44 on Sunday. Roberts went 7 of 11 from the field (3 for 4 from 3-point range) for the Islanders (8-6). Dian Wright-Forde scored 14 points while shooting 4 of 7 from the field and 6 for 8 from the line and added three steals. Sheldon Williams shot 5 of 6 from the field and 3 of 6 from the free-throw line to finish with 13 points. The Mountaineers were led by Beau Cervantes, who recorded nine points. Kamden Ross added seven points and three blocks. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

x YouTube Video Listen to our archived episodes: Pandora | LibSyn | YouTube Support the show: Patreon | PayPal: 1x or monthly | Square Cash * David Waldman is here with the Friday KITM, and also somewhere else entirely , all through the magic of “technology”... And, now for our discussion of “cryptocurrency ”: How big a scam is cryptocurrency ? It is so big that Eric Trump promises that his dad will become the most procrypto president in the history of America . Crypto, in fact could be the ultimate pyramid scheme, as it’s multilevel marketing with no levels, just a big pile of cash going to first person who grabs it when the other suckers’ greed makes them hold out too long. It’s perfect, all of the overhead is paid by chumps who believe all the others will be the chumps! Its only possible enemy could be regulation... That would be the Securities and Exchange Commission, who will soon be shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in this establishment . That is, if there were someone to regulate them. It seems that someone just might be the “ Person of the Year ”, recently witnessed sharing the parable of The Poor Woman and the Three Apples to his followers gathered inside of the national Temple of Money Changers. Why would Trump choose the low bar of being this country’s Mao , when he can aim for Ceasar , or higher ? Meanwhile, pity the poor Democrats fighting for President Joe Biden’s legacy . Think of the history Joe could make as the President who finally helped achieve certification for the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution!Quebec meeting business leaders to discuss potential U.S. tariffsJordan Roberts scores 19 to lead Texas A&M-Corpus Christi over Schreiner 103-44

Trump’s lawyers rebuff DA’s idea for upholding his hush money conviction, calling it ‘absurd’Cape commissioners want answers on mystery drones flying over New Jersey

TikTok is challenging the federal government’s order to shut down its operations in Canada. The company filed documents in Federal Court in Vancouver last Thursday. In November, Ottawa ordered the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform. That means TikTok must “wind down” its operations in Canada, though the app will continue to be available to Canadians. TikTok is asking the court to overturn the government’s order and to put a pause on the order going into effect while the court hears the case. It is claiming the decision was “unreasonable” and “driven by improper purposes.”

President-elect Donald Trump issued two statements on Sunday night following the death of former President Jimmy Carter , saying "we all owe him a debt of gratitude." Carter died Sunday at the age of 100. Trump first posted this statement on Truth Social: "I just heard of the news about the passing of President Jimmy Carter. Those of us who have been fortunate to have served as President understand this is a very exclusive club, and only we can relate to the enormous responsibility of leading the Greatest Nation in History. The challenges Jimmy faced as President came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans. For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude. Melania and I are thinking warmly of the Carter Family and their loved ones during this difficult time. We urge everyone to keep them in their hearts and prayers." In a separate post about an hour later, Trump wrote: "President Jimmy Carter is dead at 100 years of age. While I strongly disagreed with him philosophically and politically, I also realized that he truly loved and respected our Country, and all it stands for. He worked hard to make America a better place, and for that I give him my highest respect. He was a truly good man and, of course, will be greatly missed. He was also very consequential, far more than most Presidents, after he left the Oval Office. Warmest condolences from Melania and I to his wonderful family!" On the campaign trail, Trump frequently mocked Carter's single term in the White House from 1977-1981, and repeatedly said a variation of comments suggesting Carter was "the happiest man" because he is now "considered a brilliant president by comparison" to President Biden. Following Carter's death, President Biden, former presidents Obama and Bush, and other U.S. and world leaders issued statements praising Carter's legacy . in remarks Sunday night, Mr. Biden said Carter "lived a life measured not by words, but by his deeds," and added, "We would all do well to be a little more like Jimmy Carter." Donald Trump Jimmy Carter

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Gov. JB Pritzker is calling on lawmakers to crack down on hemp products like delta-8 THC, saying they let minors get high on untested, mislabeled cannabis — but it’s a move which hemp shop owners say would also close legitimate businesses. The governor came out Friday in support of legislation that would set a minimum age of 21 to buy such products. It would require hemp companies to obtain licenses and test and label their products, similar to the requirements for legal marijuana. And it would ban copycat packaging that looks like common candy or snack brands. “This regulatory gray area has created a loophole that put Illinois consumers of all ages, but particularly children, in danger while an underground market flourished — the exact opposite of what Illinois has done by regulating our cannabis industry,” Pritzker said. “We’re closing that loophole and protecting Illinoisans of all ages by incorporating these products into the regulated and equitable system of dispensaries already in place in the state.” But hemp business owners say the restrictions limiting sales to licensed dispensaries and limiting the percentage of intoxicating THC below .3% will put many of these small smoke and vape shops out of business. Brandy Garner, a nurse and owner of Brandy’s CBD at 87th and King Drive, said patients use her products for relief of pain and other symptoms, and say they can’t find CBD products without THC at many dispensaries. She worried that the proposed regulations might put her out of business. “Where does that leave us for our products?” she asked. “Do we just pack up and leave? A lot of us have put a lot of money into this.” The controversy reflects a fight between cannabis business owners, who are licensed by the state, and hemp business owners. Paradoxically, though they are the same plant, cannabis remains illegal under federal law, while hemp was legalized nationally in 2018. Hemp is defined legally as cannabis having less than .3% delta-9 THC, the component of pot that gets users high. The intent was to legalize CBD, a non-intoxicating part of cannabis. But chemists have found ways to derive from CBD other compounds like delta-8 THC and THCO which do get users high, though users say to a lesser degree than delta-9. The result has been a nationwide proliferation of smoke and vape shops and gas stations that sell intoxicating products, often without being explicitly licensed to do so. Since there is no legal age limit in Illinois, the most serious problem has been adolescents being hospitalized from ingesting the drug, as happened this month with three children in Rogers Park who ate cannabis gummies. State Rep. LaShawn Ford is sponsoring alternative legislation that would also require age limits, testing and labeling, but would license hemp businesses separately, in addition to existing cannabis dispensaries. He suggested a two-tier sales system where cannabis, which is more potent, would be sold at dispensaries, while lower-potency hemp would be sold at separate locations. To prohibit hemp businesses altogether, he said, would just push sales underground and online, where people already can order home delivery. Ford said that the bill Pritzker supports would favor cannabis retailers by making them the exclusive sellers of it. Ford also said that putting hemp sales under the exclusive control of cannabis dispensaries puts those dispensaries in control of the market. Delta-8 THC gummies at Brandy’s CBD store on Dec. 13, 2024, in Chatham. (Tess Crowley/Chicago Tribune) The Illinois Healthy Alternatives Association, representing many of the hemp businesses, called on the lawmakers to instead implement “sensible” regulations, including age and safety measures. The legislation favored by the governor, they say, would eliminate the sale of most hemp products, including CBD. “It contains myriad technical mistakes and is a full ban whether they call it that or not,” Chi’tiva hemp business owner Charles Wu said. “It bans Illinois’ hemp industry but does nothing to curb online sales to minors from out of state companies.” The measure to regulate hemp passed the Senate in May by a 54-1 vote, but stalled in the House. The chief sponsor, State Sen. Kimberly Lightford, a Democrat from Maywood, said she amended the proposal to respond to hemp industry concerns. “So I believe if they’re regulated like the rest of the market, they have the same ability to make a significant amount of money and do well in that space,” she said. “To just circumvent the law is illegal and they’re harming children.” The Cannabis Business Association of Illinois, which represents much of the established cannabis industry, said hemp growers have exploited a loophole and avoided testing requirements. “This not only leaves consumers at risk, it also undermines the state’s carefully regulated cannabis market, particularly social equity cannabis license holders who face extensive rules and regulations to operate while those selling intoxicating hemp continue to get off easy,” association Executive Director Tiffany Chappell Ingram said. The Illinois Independent Craft Growers Association, which represents newer small cultivators, also welcomed the legislation. The group said in a statement that it would help protect small business owners trying to follow all the licensing requirements for legal cannabis. “Same products should be regulated the same, it is that simple.”Arguments over whether Luigi Mangione is a 'hero' offer glimpse into unusual American moment

There are 4 types of emotionally immature parents, from reactive to critical. Here's how they impact you as an adult.