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Former President Jimmy Carter is dead at 100. There are very few politicians who are admired for their values, their honesty, and their humanitarian deeds. Former President Jimmy Carter, who died at the age of 100, was among the rare exceptions; but then, he was more than a politician. He served as an epic model of what a good human being should be, especially in the later stages of his life. His post-presidency years came to be defined by humanitarian and peace advocacy efforts, and they exemplified a well-known quote that encapsulated his life’s purpose and philosophy: “I have one life and one chance to make it count for something. I’m free to choose that something. ... My faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I can, whenever I can, for as long as I can.” As one admirer put it, “Great man, great president, probably under-appreciated by those who didn’t know much about him.” There is little doubt that Carter will be remembered more for his humanitarian efforts than for his presidency. Polls of historians and political scientists have generally ranked Carter as a below-average president. A 2018 poll of the American Political Science Association’s Presidents and Executive Politics section ranked Carter as the 26th best president. A 2017 C-SPAN poll of historians also ranked Carter as the 26th best president. Some critics have compared Carter to Herbert Hoover, who was similarly a “hardworking but uninspiring technocrat. Robert A. Strong, Professor of Politics at Washington and Lee University has written: “Jimmy Carter is much more highly regarded today than when he lost his bid for reelection in 1980. He has produced an exemplary post-presidency, and today there is an increased appreciation for the enormity of the task he took on in 1977. Carter took office just thirty months after a President had left the entire federal government in a shambles. He faced epic challenges—the energy crisis, Soviet aggression, Iran, and above all, a deep mistrust of leadership by his citizens. He was hard working and conscientious.” His critics weren’t so kind, they saw him as a fish out of water in Washington D.C. and frequently mocked him as the “peanut farmer.” Carter served a single, tumultuous term and was defeated by Republican Ronald Reagan in 1980, a landslide loss that ultimately paved the way for his decades of global advocacy for democracy, public health, and human rights via the Carter Center. Hailing from a family of farmers who had been in Georgia since the 1630’s, young Jimmy was energetic and enterprising. By the time he was ten, he stacked produce from the family farm onto a wagon, hauled it into town, and sold it. He saved his money, and by the age of thirteen, he bought five houses around Plains that the Great Depression had put on the market at rock-bottom prices. These homes were rented to families in the area. After a promising Navy career, he was called back to Georgia to save the family farm after his father’s death, a task that he accomplished brilliantly and which in a roundabout way led to a political career that eventually landed him in the Governor’s mansion. Carter became President by narrowly defeating Gerald Ford, a man who had landed there by accident when Nixon was forced to resign, and who has gone down in history as the first, and so far the only, person to become President without winning a general election for President or Vice President. Jimmy Carter’s greatest accomplishments during his tenure were to create the Department of Education, bolster the Social Security system, and appoint record numbers of women, blacks, and Hispanics to Government jobs. Additionally, he created a national energy policy that included conservation, price control, and new technology. Carter pursued the Camp David Accords, the Panama Canal Treaties, and the second round of Strategic Arms Limitation Talks. He also confronted the stagflation that he had inherited from Ford. In foreign policy, in an effort to end the Arab–Israeli conflict, he helped arrange the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt. These efforts were eventually rewarded with the Nobel Peace Prize that he received in 2002, for undertaking peace negotiations, campaigning for human rights, and working for social welfare. Nevertheless, his tenure as president will forever be associated with the failure of the Iran hostage crisis. Into its sixth month, and all diplomatic appeals to the Iranian government having ended in failure, President Jimmy Carter ordered the military mission as a last-ditch attempt to save the hostages. During the operation, three of eight helicopters failed, crippling the crucial airborne plans. The mission was then canceled at the staging area in Iran, but during the withdrawal one of the retreating helicopters collided with one of six C-130 transport planes, killing eight service members and injuring five. The next day, a somber Jimmy Carter gave a press conference in which he took full responsibility for the tragedy. The hostages were eventually released—but it took another 270 days, and by that time he was out of the White House and Reagan got the credit. This debacle had an enormous impact on the Carter presidency and is widely acknowledged as the reason for his loss in the 1980 election. As the post-presidency years passed, Jimmy Carter grew in stature, as a humanitarian and a global diplomat—a senior statesman who was respected by the entire world. His work for Habitat for Humanity was truly inspiring and was a measure of the man’s humility, as he continued to personally wield a hammer and saw planks until well into his later life, into his 90’s. At the time that he entered hospice care on February 19, 2022, Nicholas Kristof, a New York Times columnist, tweeted: “Prize winners and truly impressive people. Few are as truly good as Jimmy Carter, who at age 98 is now entering hospice. He leaves this planet so much better than he found it. A great, great, great man.” No man or woman could wish for a more worthy epitaph. Jimmy Carter had said in recent months that he hoped to live long enough to vote for Kamala Harris. He succeeded in attaining his wish.
Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Y. S. Sharmila on Saturday (December 7) said while the State government’s decision to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the alleged smuggling of rice meant for Public Distribution System (PDS) from Kakinada port was a welcome measure, the TDP-led coalition government had not yet made its stand clear on the Jagan-Adani bribery case. The State Congress chief took to the social media platform, X, to slam Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, asking him why he was reluctant to initiate action against former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who was accused of receiving ₹1,750 crore bribe in the solar power deal with the Adani Group. She said Mr. Naidu should clarify if he was also offered bribe by Mr. Adani for remaining silent and not initiating any action in the case. She demanded that the government scrap the deal made with the Adani Group and order a comprehensive probe into the irregularities. Published - December 08, 2024 04:40 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Vijayawada
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Timeline: Jimmy Carter, 1924-2024
Health In Tech Announces Closing of Initial Public OfferingThe 'perverse' reason we've given up on California and are now fleeing to the other side of the world By JAMES CIRRONE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Published: 21:24 GMT, 7 December 2024 | Updated: 21:24 GMT, 7 December 2024 e-mail View comments A writer has revealed that he and his wife are fleeing from California to Spain because they are fed up with soaring cost of living and America's obsession with cars. Rocco Pendola, 49, who has lived in San Francisco and Los Angeles for the last 25 years, has previously stated that these cities 'represent the best of America' in many ways. But he has now announced on his Substack personal finance blog that he and his wife will be permanently moving to Valencia next month. The move to Spain's third largest city has been months in the making, with Pendola writing in January: 'When my wife and I decided to move to Spain, I set the goal of celebrating my 50th birthday there. If all goes as hoped, planned and intended, I’ll begin the official second half of my life on foreign soil.' Numerous blog posts revealed that his decision boils down to the cost of living rising beyond what he believes is reasonable and how reliant the US is on cars. 'I might be willing to keep paying a premium to live in [Los Angeles or San Francisco] if not for the perverse and never-ending influence of the automobile on the planet, our safety, and how we function and feel in our day-to-day surroundings,' Pendola wrote in a piece published in SFGate . Rocco Pendola (pictured) has been a freelance writer for decades and offered two reasons for why he's moving in January from California toSpain Pendola has spent the last 25 years in California, first living in San Francisco and then in Los Angeles (pictured) Much of America's car-centric culture stems from how leaders responded to the transportation needs of its citizens post-World War II when the country's population and economy was booming. With an interstate system that has 46,876 miles of road connecting the streets of nearly all cities, major and minor, Pendola thinks it's clear: you need a car in America. And that is his main problem with the country. Pendola wrote that car dependency in the US has led to the 'proliferation of not only suburbia but, in many cases, less dense urban cores.' 'Some urban planning experts believe that San Francisco, Boston and Portland, Oregon, might as well be suburbs relative to their European counterparts,' he added. After World War II decimated nearly all of Europe and countries rebuilt themselves, those states have gone in a starkly different direction than the US when it comes to how people get around. Between 10 and 20 percent of Western Europeans use public transit for their commutes, while only 2 percent of Americans do the same . His move to Valencia (pictured) was spurred on by how reliant the United States is on cars and the high cost of living in most major US cities Pictured: A section of the brand new National Interstate Highway System in the 1950s Pendola also views the automobile as a menace to society, both in how they degrade urban residents' lifestyles and kill thousands of pedestrians a year . In a Substack post from last July, Pendola ranted about how 'you limit yourself' if you don't drive in Los Angeles, where he currently lives. 'You limit yourself when you don’t have a car because our public transportation system either doesn’t take you places where you want to go or takes you there using a route that’s so absurd you’d never even consider it,' he wrote at the time. 'Too much time. Too many transfers. Super inefficient and unpleasant.' Pendola longs to live 'a car-free lifestyle' in a 'built environment that not only encourages and facilitates, but pretty much necessitates walking, biking and taking public transit.' In San Francisco, where he lived for seven years, he pointed out that there is a fight to close a single city block to cars so it can be pedestrianized. Meanwhile, cities in Spain like Barcelona and Valencia are pursuing 'superblock' programs that often fashion as many as nine city blocks into a space conducive to people walking and biking. Two blocks on Hayes Street in Hayes Valley, a neighborhood in San Francisco, became car-free on Fridays and weekends at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Supporters include restaurants and businesses on the street that had access to a new clientele who were ambling into stores they might not have given a second look if they were zooming by in a car. People walk the Hayes Street Promenade in San Francisco during the day This section of road was first closed to cars on Fridays and weekends during the COVID-19 pandemic Over the years, the street closures were gradually pared back. Now, only the 400 block of Hayes Street can remain closed and just on Fridays from 4pm to 10pm and Saturdays from 10am to 10pm. The Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association, headed up Andrew Seigner, wanted to expand the closure back to three blocks. Pendola spoke to Seigner, who said the overwhelming majority of businesses on the 400 block support closing it to cars permanently. The opposition to this is led by a group called Hayes Valley Safe, which according to Seigner, is made up of a small handful of businesses that are not on the 400 block. Pendola found it ironic that 'safe' is in their name, considering that they support letting cars to go through Hayes Street at all times when dozens of people die every year from vehicle crashes in San Francisco. On what many call one of the deadliest streets in America , Lombard Street has had five deaths within 10 years, with two people killed this past year in the span of 10 days. Signs were also placed at the intersections where pedestrians were killed, reading: 'This is the site of a fatal traffic crash. Every year, around 30 people are killed and 600 people are severely injured in traffic crashes on San Francisco streets. 'Arguing to keep a street safe by leaving it open to cars sounds odd, if not heartless,' he argued. Last month, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Board allowed the 400 block to close for another year but activists are continuing to fight for a permanent closure. Lombard Street, which locals call the 'deadliest' street in the city, has a famous steep and winding road section Walk San Francisco posted signs near pedestrians were killed along Lombard Street Some businesses say ousting cars and pedestrianizing streets hurts their bottom line, but a study that examined pedestrian-friendly areas in Spanish cities disagreed. Based on transaction data from a major Spanish bank, researchers found that 'stores located in pedestrian environments tend to record higher sales volumes than stores located in non-pedestrian environments.' The difference, Pendola says, between Barcelona and Valencia and a city like San Francisco, is that those two Spanish cities are pursuing infrastructure plans that benefit pedestrians citywide - not merely on a single city block. 'I want to move to a place that gets stuff done because I’m drained by the piecemeal approach. Random projects throughout large cities that, even if successful, don’t change the prevailing lifestyle. The culture,' Pendola wrote. Barcelona began its superblock program in 2016 and built its first one in 2017. These superblocks don't ban cars entirely, but they're 'often eliminated or calmed on the inner segments and directed to the outer avenues,' Pendola said. Engineers hope to build 503 superblocks by 2030, which would make '60 percent of the streets previously used by cars would thereby be free for other uses,' according to the city government of Barcelona . Valencia, where Pendola is moving to in a few weeks, is pursuing similar plans as part of its 2030 Climate Mission. An overhead view of Barcelona's pedestrian-friendly superblocks. They're bigger than normal city blocks but smaller than entire neighborhoods The city plans to build 503 of them by 2030 For Pendola, there's a certain magic to Valencia and Spain as a whole that makes him want to call it home But Spain is not just full of better designed cities in Pendola's opinion. For him and his wife Melisse, urban areas there have an indescribable quality that makes them feel like home (even though he is of Italian heritage). His wife 'described this weird feeling of re-entering Spain from another country and feeling like she’s home. While I can’t quite put my finger on this feeling and why I also feel it, it’s palpable,' Pendola wrote in a November Substack article. Pendola's Substack started out as a personal finance blog for people who believe they will never retire either out of necessity or by choice. He advocates not banking on a traditional retirement strategy where you invest a portion of your income into a 401(K) and rely on measly Social Security payments. The situation is bleak for three in ten Americans, who have nothing saved for retirement , let alone 13 times their current gross income that some financial planners recommend. Barring an unrealistic scenario where a lucky stock pick makes you a millionaire, Pendola suggests people keep their costs low and find a career they can do into old age. For Pendola, that's writing. It's what he's been doing for more than 20 years and hopes to be able to do it for the rest of his life. But the first part of the equation, keeping your costs low, fits perfectly with how Pendola's blog has shifted in recent months to chronicle his move to Spain. He believes moving to Spain will allow him to 'never retire' but still live comfortably - mainly because of the country's lower cost of living . Housing remains by far the largest annual expenditure for Americans at 32.9 percent. Rent in Valencia, even on the pricier side, is more than 20 percent cheaper than the median apartment in Los Angeles Valencia is pursuing similar pedestrian-centered plans as Barcelona as part of its 2030 Climate Mission In Los Angeles, the median rent for a one-bedroom is $1,853 as of December, according to data compiled by Apartment List . By comparison, one-bedroom apartments in the city center of Valencia range from 800 to 1400 euros per month ($845 to $1480), according to a ReValencia , a real estate company aimed at expats. That's 20 percent cheaper than the City of Stars. For retirees, that should be a siren call. If two people retire at 67 years old - receiving full Social Security benefits - and both live until the average US life expectancy of 77 years old, the difference in how much they will pay is drastic between LA and Valencia. Over the next 10 years, the Valencia retiree will have spent roughly $178,000 in rent, while the Los Angeles resident will have spent nearly $222,000. Pendola also recently delved into how much groceries - the third biggest spending category for Americans - cost in Barcelona as opposed to Santa Monica. While he was in Barcelona in February, he took a recent receipt he had from a Trader Joe's in Santa Monica and bought all the exact same things at a Mercadona store in the heart of the city. 'After making adjustments and running all of the math, the Trader Joe’s shopping trip cost $57.79, while - after making the currency adjustment - the Mercadona run would have cost $37.59, good for a $20 difference,' Pendola wrote. 'I’ll miss you California, but not that much,' he signed off last week. Share or comment on this article: The 'perverse' reason we've given up on California and are now fleeing to the other side of the world e-mail Add comment
Calzada TD to Alexander sends Incarnate Word to FCS quarterfinal with win over Villanova
NonePacifiCorp mulls breakup that could align Wyoming with other pro-coal statesBOONE, N.C. — South Carolina offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains has been hired as head coach at Appalachian State and will receive a five-year contract, athletic director Doug Gillin announced Saturday. The 44-year-old Loggains replaces Shawn Clark, who was fired Monday after the Mountaineers finished 5-6 for their first losing season since 2013. Loggains was South Carolina's offensive coordinator for two seasons and an assistant at Arkansas, his alma mater, for two seasons before that. He spent 16 years in the NFL as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Tennessee, Cleveland, Chicago, Miami and the New York Jets. “He brings experience as a leader and play-caller at the highest levels of professional and college football," Gillin said. "He is a great recruiter and believes strongly in building relationships. He is aligned with our core values of academic integrity, competitive excellence, social responsibility and world-class experience. This is a great day for App State.” Loggains' offense at South Carolina featured LaNorris Sellers, one of the nation's top dual-threat quarterbacks, and running back Raheim “Rocket” Sanders. Sellers and Sanders led the Southeastern Conference's third-ranked rushing offense. Loggains spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons as Arkansas' tight ends coach, and he worked with Sam Darnold, Jay Cutler, Mitchell Trubisky, Brian Hoyer and Vince Young during his time in the NFL. The Mountaineers, the preseason favorites in the Sun Belt Conference's East Division, tied for fifth with a 3-5 record in league play. App State was 40-24 under Clark, but the Mountaineers have failed to reach a bowl game two of the past three seasons.
Rosen Law Firm Encourages Quanterix Corporation Investors to Inquire About Securities Class Action Investigation - QTRX
BOSTON — For the first time this season, the Indiana Pacers have something brewing. And for the first time in a long time, the Boston Celtics are lost. After the Eastern Conference finals ended in one of the most competitive sweeps in recent years, the Pacers looked like a team primed for a step forward. Despite the loss, Rick Carlisle’s team showed it could keep its perpetual offense in motion while playing physical playoff basketball. Advertisement Then both of these franchises returned with essentially the same teams and saw drastically different results early on. The Celtics were still on top of the world, while the Pacers sputtered out of the gate. But things are finally changing and the Pacers’ 123-114 win over the Celtics on Sunday showed that these teams are trending in opposite directions. “We’ve got to be a team of punchers,” Carlisle said. “We can’t be reactors. We’ve got to be agitators. And tonight, we were much more aggressive and it was the only way.” Indiana has now won seven of its last 10 games, which included a close loss to the West-leading Thunder and then a blowout in Boston the next night. Aside from that rough 24 hours, the Pacers have looked like themselves again. Andrew Nembhard’s return has helped to fortify the Pacers’ defensive chain that was fraying earlier in December. Indiana’s defense works when it has a reliable point-of-attack defender who can feed the ball in toward Myles Turner without other guys jumping in to help. Then the Pacers have a lot of length and speed around that primary defensive pairing to get the team racing out in transition once it gets the ball back. But in the recent losses to the Thunder and Celtics, the Pacers were just taking the ball out of the net way too much to maintain their edge. That changed Sunday, when the primary objective was to be the aggressor. Myles Turner with the putback SLAM 😳 #NBAAllStar | https://t.co/T6jmxAY3iX pic.twitter.com/EyJna6pqzM — Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) December 30, 2024 “That was a playoff-like intensity,” Jaylen Brown said. “Give credit to Indiana: They came out from the tip, you could see it. They were trying to pressure us, trying to get into me, trying to get into my body, trying to turn me over. As a team, you just gotta meet that challenge every single night.” Advertisement Ironically, Jayson Tatum said after the game the Celtics have to be the team that punches first. The Celtics’ formula to success last year was limitless versatility and rigidly adhered-to principles. The Pacers are a laissez-faire vortex of movement and tempo, which needs to be grounded in some defensive intensity to actually work. When Nembhard is out there, they just have it. “His impact is immeasurable,” Turner said. “He goes out there and guards their best players and he’s putting pressure on the rim. He makes tough shots and he’s someone that is very valuable to our team.” Just as the Pacers are turning things around, the Celtics have lost their spark. Derrick White said this is the toughest stretch the team has experienced since he came to Boston. Except for the first game Friday, a 142-105 Celtics victory when the Pacers were on a back-to-back after falling to the Thunder, they are getting the defending champs treatment. They already saw it last year, as the whole league was on notice after Kristaps Porziņģis showed up to the first preseason game. But it’s just different when the opposing coach can write on the board “DEFENDING CHAMPS” and underline it five times. “Our guys just decided that, whatever was happening, this is as tough a place to play as there is and you’re playing against the NBA champs, the world champs,” Carlisle said. “We were going to continue to attack and we were going to hit first as much as we could.” The Celtics know that’s what they are going to see most nights. A regular game for them is a statement game for everyone else. The losses were so rare last season that they didn’t have to stress much. The biggest knock on them entering the playoffs was that they hadn’t faced enough adversity. But now they’re back in the kind of slog that was all too familiar to this team before its championship run. Advertisement “I think we have the humility because we’ve been through it,” Tatum said. “There’s parts of the season where we took it for granted, and I think we’ve learned from that. But I think we’re just at a point in the season where we’re not happy where we’re at and we all have to understand that we’ve played a part in where we’re at right now.” Tatum said the Celtics have to get back to the basics, that they have to communicate and make sure they don’t leave guys on an island. That was most apparent when Tyrese Haliburton cruised past Al Horford in crunch time to get an easy layup. There have been an anomalous number of defensive breakdowns for the Celtics in recent weeks, regardless of Jrue Holiday’s and Porziņģis’ absences. The Celtics didn’t really feel changes in the depth chart last year. Whoever was out there, it didn’t matter that much. They were still executing on a string defensively and managed to keep their intensity high. Right now, it seems to be often one or the other. “Every season has its own challenges, every season presents its own adversity, and you’ve got to meet it,” Brown said. “You can’t think that last year is this year, or this year is gonna be last year.” Brown loved the playoff intensity of this second Pacers game but acknowledged that some comfort has slipped in defensively. White said it feels like they’re running uphill, so they have to get back to playing with joy. “It’s gonna help us grow if we look at it with the right intentionality and the right perspective,” Brown said. “We can’t complain about it or we just gotta meet the challenge, and I feel like we’ll be better for it.” As New York and Orlando creep up on them in the standings, the Celtics are about to embark on a gantlet road trip through Minnesota, Houston, Oklahoma City and Denver. These are teams that will test their defensive physicality and acuity. Advertisement “All the type of guys that are in that locker room, those are the type of guys I want to go to war with,” White said. “So I’m confident in that.” Now that the Pacers have Nembhard back, their identity is starting to crystalize again. In crunch time, they kept on running. They didn’t want to run the clock, something Haliburton conceded was counterintuitive. But this is just who they are. “I think we set our precedent for how we want to play,” Turner said. “I think that’s our advantage is that we get to the fourth quarter and we start running on teams that don’t really want to run with us.” Carlisle praised second-year forward Jarace Walker for playing to exhaustion. That’s a rite of passage on the team that runs everyone else ragged when it’s at its best. The Pacers are finally getting back to the team you don’t want to play. The Celtics look more vulnerable than they have in over a year. This is just another wave in the NBA season, but both of these teams have some work to do to get back to where they expect to be. (Photo of Indiana’s Myles Turner dunking on Boston’s Jaylen Brown: Bob DeChiara / Imagn Images)
NEW YORK — I’ll get you, my pretty! And your little pygmy hippo, too! Forgive us the shameless attempt to link the fantasy hit “Wicked” to the delightful Moo Deng . But, hear us out — there’s something the two have in common as the year draws to a close. Escapism. Whether we found it on the yellow brick road, or in videos from a Thailand zoo, or perhaps in unlikely Olympic heroes , we gravitated toward fantasy and feel-good pop culture moments this year. There were new trends, as always. “Brat summer” became a thing, as did “demure, mindful.” And for some inexplicable reason, we became obsessed with celebrity lookalike contests. People are also reading... There were breakups — Bennifer is, again, a thing of the past — and reunions: Oasis, please try to stay together for the tour. Yet some things stayed, remarkably, the same: Taylor Swift and Beyoncé kept on breaking records and making history. So, after a year where much changed but some things held steady, here’s our annual, very selective trip down pop culture memory lane: Lily Gladstone poses in the press room Jan. 7 with the award for best performance by an actress in a motion picture, drama for "Killers of the Flower Moon" at the 81st Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. January It starts as a cheery tweet from a beloved “Sesame Street” figure: “ ELMO is just checking in! How is everybody doing?” The answers hint at something deeper and more worrisome. “Not great, Elmo. Not great,” says one milder reply. Doing much better is the viral phenomenon called “BARBENHEIMER,” which makes its awards season debut at the GOLDEN GLOBES . But perhaps the most poignant moment comes from neither film: LILY GLADSTONE , first Indigenous winner of best actress in a drama for “Killers of the Flower Moon,” begins her remarks in the language of her tribe, Blackfeet Nation. Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) kisses Taylor Swift on Feb. 11 after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in overtime during the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game in Las Vegas. February Valentine’s Day — a perfect time to settle into a sweet love saga via TikTok. Only that’s not quite what we get with “Who TF Did I Marry?,” REESA TEESA ’s depressing, fascinating, 50-part account of her disastrous marriage with a man who lied about absolutely everything. Meanwhile, if you're looking for a single week that encapsulates peak SWIFT cultural dominance , try this: she begins with the Grammys in Los Angeles (becoming the first artist to win album of the year four times AND announcing a new album), then heads to Tokyo for four tour dates, then jets back just in time for the Super Bowl in Las Vegas — where she shares a passionate smooch with boyfriend TRAVIS KELCE on the field of victory. Ryan Gosling performs the song "I'm Just Ken" from the movie "Barbie" on March 10 during the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. March “What was I made for?” BILLIE EILISH sings at the OSCARS, channeling BARBIE . And what was KEN made for? Not entirely clear — but it's clear RYAN GOSLING was made to play him. His singalong version of “I’m Just Ken” is one of the most entertaining Oscar musical moments in years. Still, Christopher Nolan's “OPPENHEIMER” prevails, a rare case of the top prize going to a blockbuster studio film. Will it happen again in 2025? CYNTHIA ERIVO and ARIANA GRANDE sure hope so; as presenters, they make a sly reference to their upcoming juggernaut, “WICKED.” Speaking of marketing, people are obsessed with that bizarre “DUNE” popcorn bucket. Beyonce And BEYONCÉ carves her space in country music with “Act II: Cowboy Carter,” which will make her the first Black woman to top the Billboard country chart. Taylor Swift performs June 21 at Wembley Stadium in London as part of her Eras Tour. April Tennis, anyone? The game’s been around for centuries, but it’s having a cultural moment right now, helped mightily by “CHALLENGERS,” the sweaty romance triangle starring ZENDAYA, MIKE FAIST and JOSH O'CONNOR (40-love? More like 40-sex.) Elsewhere, a new era dawns: At midnight, SWIFT drops “THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT," then drops another 15 songs two hours later. The fascinating and disturbing “BABY REINDEER,” the story of a struggling comedian’s extended encounter with a stalker, debuts on Netflix. Ben Affleck, left, and Jennifer Lopez arrive Feb. 13 at the premiere of "This Is Me ... Now: A Love Story" at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. May It’s MET GALA time — or as it's known in 2024, another early marketing moment for “WICKED.” ERIVO and GRANDE make fashion waves on the carpet and then musical ones at dinner, with a soulful performance of “When You Believe.” If the “Wicked” tour is in full force, another one stops in its tracks: JENNIFER LOPEZ cancels her summer tour amid reports of both poor ticket sales and trouble in her marriage to BEN AFFLECK . It’s been an eventful year for J.Lo, who's released an album and movie called “THIS IS ME ... NOW" — both reflections on her renewed love with Affleck. June Welcome to BRAT SUMMER ! CHARLI XCX releases her hit “Brat” album , with its lime green cover, and launches a thousand memes. Collins Dictionary defines “brat,” its word of the year, as “characterized by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude.” At the celeb-heavy SWIFT shows in London, we see PRINCE WILLIAM shaking it off, which is either charming or cringe, you decide. Even better: KELCE dons a top hat and tux and performs for one night. At another stadium across the pond, METS infielder JOSE IGLESIAS delights the crowd with his cheery number “OMG.” Stephen Nedoroscik is introduced June 29 at the United States Gymnastics Olympic Trials in Minneapolis. July Bonjour, it’s OLYMPICS time! In Paris! An audacious opening ceremony along the Seine is punctuated by a fabulous CELINE DION , perched on the EIFFEL TOWER , singing her heart out — in the rain, too. Controversy swirls over a scene critics feel mocks Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” (organizers say it does not). Olympic stars are born — including French swimming superstar LEON MARCHAND , rugby player ILONA MAHER , and bespectacled “Pommel Horse Guy” gymnast STEPHEN NEDOROSCIK , who nets two bronze medals and comparisons to Clark Kent. Baby pigmy hippo Moo Deng plays with a zookeeper Sept. 19 in the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi province, Thailand. Also capturing hearts: yep, MOO DENG , born this month. Her name means “bouncy pork.” Australia's Rachael Gunn, known as B-Girl Raygun, competes Aug. 9 during the Round Robin Battle at the breaking competition at La Concorde Urban Park at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. August This is them ... now: BENNIFER is no more. After two decades, two engagements and two weddings, J.Lo files for divorce. One union dissolves, another returns: OASIS announces a reunion tour. Everyone seems to want to get in on TikToker JOOLS LEBRON 's “ DEMURE, MINDFUL ” act — even the WHITE HOUSE press team. Back at the Olympics, in the new sport of breaking, we meet Australia’s RAYGUN , arguably neither demure nor mindful with her “kangaroo” move. Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani brings his dog Decoy to the mound Aug. 28 before Decoy delivered the ceremonial first pitch prior to a baseball game between the Dodgers and the Baltimore Orioles in Los Angeles. Cute animal alert: SHOHEI OHTANI ’s perky pooch DECOY does a great “first pitch” in his Major League Baseball debut. Chappell Roan performs "Good Luck, Babe" on Sept. 11 during the MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. September One of the year’s biggest breakout artists, CHAPPELL ROAN , withdraws from a music festival after speaking out about frightening fan interactions. And more on the price of fame: In an excruciating moment, “Bachelorette” JENN TRAN , the franchise’s first Asian American lead, is forced to sit through a painful viewing of her proposal to her chosen suitor, after tearfully explaining how he’d later dumped her over the phone. Tran is keeping busy though — she’s announced as part of the new “Dancing with the Stars” lineup. Also on the list: rugby player Maher, and Pommel Horse Guy! Also, ANNA SOROKIN , dancing with an ankle monitor. Online fandom, meanwhile, is shaken when X is temporarily suspended in Brazil and celebrity stan accounts post tearful farewells, revealing to many across the globe that their favorite accounts are run by Brazilians. Miles Mitchell, 21, wins of the Timothee Chalamet lookalike contest Oct. 27 near Washington Square Park in New York. October “Dune” Chalamets! “Wonka” Chalamets! Thousands gather in Manhattan for a TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET lookalike contest, and things really get interesting when Chalamet himself shows up. He doesn’t enter the contest, though, and with his mustache, he may not even have won. The trend continues with contests for JEREMY ALLEN WHITE, ZAYN MALIK and — in a very Washington version — Kennedy scion JACK SCHLOSSBERG , who's been gathering a following with some interesting social media posts. New York Liberty Kennedy Burke dances with the mascot, Ellie the Elephant, during an Oct. 24 ceremony after a parade in honor of the Liberty's WNBA basketball championship at City Hall in New York. Turning to basketball, who’s that dancing with USHER ? Why it’s ELLIE THE ELEPHANT , the now-viral NEW YORK LIBERTY mascot. Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, right, appears Nov. 2 with Maya Rudolph on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" in New York. November MAYA RUDOLPH does a pretty good KAMALA HARRIS laugh on “Saturday Night Live,” but you know who does it better? HARRIS herself. The Democratic candidate makes a surprise cameo three days before the U.S. presidential election, following in the footsteps of HILLARY CLINTON , SARAH PALIN and others. Elsewhere in television, Bravo announces that “VANDERPUMP RULES,” the Emmy-nominated reality show that has lived through countless scandals, is entirely recasting its 12th season — apart from namesake LISA VANDERPUMP . As for MOO DENG , she doesn't have her own TV series yet, but our favorite pygmy hippo is generating plenty of merch . And THAT brings us back to ... Ariana Grande, left, and Cynthia Erivo pose for photographers Nov. 11 prior to the premiere of "Wicked" at Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City. December “WICKED” ! Director JON M. CHU ’s emerald-hued fantasy remains very very popular, to quote one of its buzzy show tunes, dancing through life and defying gravity at the multiplex. Moviegoers also come for “GLADIATOR II” and, in a veritable tidal wave, Disney's “MOANA 2,” which beckons us back to the seas of Oceania. Once again, 2024 seems to be telling us: Give people some whimsy, a place to escape, maybe some catchy tunes — and no one knows how far they’ll go. 2024 Year in Review The stories and images that defined 2024. What were the most popular Wikipedia pages of 2024? Searching for something? From queries about U.S. politics to cricket in India, Wikipedia has become a source of information for millions of people across the globe. PHOTOS: The top sports images from 2024 From the Paris Olympics to the Super Bowl. From Simone Biles to Shohei Ohtani. And, of course, Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift. These are the sp... PHOTOS: The top images of 2024 AP photographers assembled a visual catalog of our civilization as life in 2024 hurtled directly at us at every speed and in every imaginable ... PHOTOS: The top images from the US in 2024 In 2024, photographers captured glimpses of humanity, ranging from a deeply divisive presidential election, to hurricanes and fires that ravag... PHOTOS: The top images from the 2024 elections Associated Press photographers captured voters with raw emotions of joy, excitement, contemplation or sorrow. PHOTOS: The top entertainment images from 2024 See entertainment's biggest moments in 2024, through the lens of Associated Press photographers. How to sum up 2024? The Oxford University Press word of the year is 'brain rot' It beat five other finalists: demure, slop, dynamic pricing, romantasy and lore. From Kamala to Chappell, here are some of the most mispronounced words of 2024 News anchors, politicians and other public figures in the U.S. struggled with these words the most this year. 'Polarization' is Merriam-Webster's 2024 word of the year Is it any surprise Merriam-Webster's word of the year is "polarization"? Here are the other words that rounded out the top 10 for 2024. Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!
Ahmedabad: While a review of Ahmedabad's Unesco World Heritage Site status is due, serious allegations of heritage houses being illegally demolished have emerged in the city. Congress MLA Imran Khedawala from the Jamalpur constituency alleged that two heritage mansions in the Desai ni Pol area of Khadia were demolished to make way for four-storied residential schemes named Sundaram and Akha Smriti. "Similarly, in Haveli ni Pol, heritage mansions were demolished to make way for residential schemes. We demand strict legal action," he said. Khedawala said that the highest concentration of historical buildings in Ahmedabad was in the central zone that covers the old city. "The old city boasts heritage havelis, mosques, houses, churches and temples. However, some political leaders, for their personal gain, have given a go-ahead to the demolition of heritage buildings for four- to five-storied residential buildings. We risk losing the World Heritage Site status if we cannot preserve what history has given us. If that happens, it would be very shameful. We appeal for a survey and conservation of our heritage buildings." The MLA criticised the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation for failing to take action against these illegal constructions. "We demand the removal of unauthorised buildings without any discrimination. We have also made representations to the municipal commissioner," he said. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , Location Guesser and Mini Crossword . Spread love this holiday season with these Christmas wishes , messages , and quotes .NEW YORK (AP) — He’s making threats, traveling abroad and negotiating with world leaders. Donald Trump has more than a month and a half to go before he’s sworn in for a second term. But the Republican president-elect is already moving aggressively not just to fill his Cabinet and outline policy goals, but to achieve those priorities . Trump has threatened to impose a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, prompting emergency calls and a visit from Canada’s prime minister that resulted in what Trump claimed were commitments from both U.S. allies on new border security measures. The incoming president has warned there will be “ALL HELL TO PAY” if, before his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025, Hamas does not release the hostages being held in Gaza . He has threatened to block the purchase of U.S. Steel by a Japanese company, warning “Buyer Beware!!!” And this weekend, Trump was returning to the global stage, joining a host of other foreign leaders for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral five years after it was ravaged by a fire. On Saturday, he met with French President Emmanuel Macron — joined at the last minute by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — and had plans to see Britain’s Prince William also in Paris. Absent in Paris: lame duck President Joe Biden, who has largely disappeared from headlines, except when he issued a pardon of his son , Hunter, who was facing sentencing for gun crimes and tax evasion. First lady Jill Biden is attending in his place. “I think you have seen more happen in the last two weeks than you’ve seen in the last four years. And we’re not even there yet,” Trump said in an over-the-top boast at an awards ceremony Thursday night . For all of Trump’s bold talk, though, it is unclear how many of his efforts will bear fruit. Breaking precedent The pre-inauguration threats and deal-making are highly unusual, like so much of what Trump does, said Julian Zelizer, a political historian at Princeton University. “Transitions are always a little complicated in this way. Even though we talk about one president at a time,” he said, “the reality is one president plus. And that plus can act assertively sometimes.” Zelizer said that is particularly true of Trump, who was president previously and already has relationships with many foreign leaders such as Macron, who invited both Trump and Biden to Paris this weekend as part of the Notre Dame celebration. “Right now he’s sort of governing even though he’s not the president yet. He’s having these public meetings with foreign leaders, which aren’t simply introductions. He’s staking out policy and negotiating things from drug trafficking to tariffs,” Zelizer said. Foreign leader meetings Trump already has met with several foreign leaders, in addition to a long list of calls. He hosted Argentinian President Javier Milei in Florida at his Mar-a-Lago club in November. After the tariff threat, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago for a three-hour dinner meeting. Canadian officials later said the country is ready to make new investments in border security, with plans for more helicopters, drones and law enforcement officers. Last Sunday, Trump dined with Sara Netanyahu, wife of the Israeli prime minister. Incoming Trump aides have also been meeting with their future foreign counterparts. On Wednesday, several members of Trump’s team, including incoming national security adviser Mike Waltz, met with Andriy Yermak, a top aide to Zelenskyy, in Washington, as Ukraine tries to win support for its ongoing efforts to defend itself from Russian invasion, according to a person familiar with the meeting. Yermak also met with Trump officials in Florida, he wrote on X . That comes after Trump’s incoming Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, traveled to Qatar and Israel for high-level talks about a cease-fire and hostage deal in Gaza, according to a U.S familiar with the efforts, meeting with the prime ministers of both countries. One president, two voices There is no prohibition on incoming officials or nominees meeting with foreign officials, and it is common and fine for them to do so — unless those meetings are designed to subvert or otherwise impact current U.S. policy. Trump aides were said to be especially cognizant of potential conflicts given their experience in 2016, when interactions between Trump allies and Russian officials came under scrutiny. That included a phone call in which Trump’s incoming national security adviser, Michael Flynn, discussed new sanctions with Russia’s ambassador to the United States, suggesting things would improve after Trump became president. Flynn was later charged with lying to the FBI about the conversation. Trump’s incoming press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that, “All transition officials have followed applicable laws in their interactions with foreign nationals.” She added: “World leaders recognize that President Trump is returning to power and will lead with strength to put the best interests of the United States of America first again. That is why many foreign leaders and officials have reached out to correspond with President Trump and his incoming team.” Such efforts can nonetheless cause complications. If, say, Biden is having productive conversations on a thorny foreign policy issue and Trump weighs in, that could make it harder for Biden “because people are hearing two different voices” that may be in conflict, Zelizer said. Leaders like Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Netanyahu may also anticipate a more favorable incoming administration and wait Biden out, hoping for more a better deal. Coordination between incoming and outgoing administrations It also remains unclear how extensively the Biden administration has been kept apprised of Trump transition efforts. Although there is no requirement that an incoming administration coordinate calls and meetings with foreign officials with the State Department or National Security Council, that has long been considered standard practice. That is, in part, because transition teams, particularly in their early days and weeks, do not always have the latest information about the state of relations with foreign nations and may not have the resources, including interpretation and logistical ability, to handle such meetings efficiently. Still, the Biden and Trump teams have been talking, particularly on the Middle East, with the incoming and outgoing administrations having agreed to work together on efforts to free hostages who remain in held in Gaza, according to a U.S. official, who, like others, was not authorized to comment publicly about the sensitive talks and spoke on condition of anonymity. That includes conversations between Witkoff and Biden’s foreign policy team as well as Waltz and Biden national security adviser Jake Sullivan. Last month, Biden administration officials said they had kept Trump’s team closely apprised of efforts to broker a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah on the Israel-Lebanon border. “I just want to be clear to all of our adversaries, they can’t play the incoming Trump administration off of the Biden administration. I’m regularly talking to the Biden people. And so, this is not a moment of opportunity or wedges for them,” Waltz said Friday in a Fox Business interview. But when it comes to immigration, Biden administration officials haven’t been entirely in the loop on discussions around how to execute on Trump’s pledge to deport millions of migrants, according to four administration officials with knowledge of the transition who spoke on condition of anonymity. That’s not terribly surprising given how differently the teams view migration. Taking credit already Trump’s team, meanwhile, is already claiming credit for everything from gains in the stock and cryptocurrency markets to a decision by Walmart to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion policies Trump opposes. “Promises Kept — And President Trump Hasn’t Even Been Inaugurated Yet,” read one press release that claimed, in part, that both Canada and Mexico have already pledged “immediate action” to help “stem the flow of illegal immigration, human trafficking, and deadly drugs entering the United States.” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has stopped short of saying Trump mischaracterized their call in late November. But she said Friday that Trump “has his own way of communicating, like when we had the phone call and he wrote that we were going to close the border. That was never talked about in the phone call.” Earlier this week, Mexico carried out what it claimed was its largest seizure of fentanyl pills ever. Seizures over the summer had been as little as 50 grams per week, and after the Trump call, they seized more than a ton. Security analyst David Saucedo said that “under the pressure by Donald Trump, it appears President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration is willing to increase the capture of drug traffickers and drug seizures that Washington is demanding.” Biden, too, tried to take credit for the seizure in a statement Friday night. ___ Associated Press writers Matthew Lee, Aamer Madhani, Colleen Long and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington and Mark Stevenson in Mexico City contributed to this report. Jill Colvin, The Associated Press
FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — Brayden O'Connor's 17 points helped George Mason defeat Tulane 76-64 on Saturday. O'Connor went 7 of 10 from the field for the Patriots (7-3). Darius Maddox shot 4 for 11 (3 for 6 from 3-point range) and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line to add 17 points. Jalen Haynes shot 4 of 11 from the field and 7 of 9 from the free-throw line to finish with 15 points. Rowan Brumbaugh led the way for the Green Wave (4-6) with 12 points and four assists. Gregg Glenn III added 11 points and 11 rebounds for Tulane. Mari Jordan also had 11 points. George Mason took the lead with 14:04 left in the first half and never looked back. O'Connor led their team in scoring with 15 points in the first half to help put them up 45-27 at the break. George Mason was outscored by Tulane in the second half by a six-point margin, but still wound up on top, while Haynes led the way with a team-high 10 second-half points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
