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NoneHistoric Southside residents shared glowing reviews of a proposed Evans and Rosedale urban village that was revealed Thursday night. “Beautiful.” “Modern.” “Walkable.” But the biggest question on the minds of many: Where’s the grocery store? Initial renderings of the project unveiled to the public showed a dense mixed-use campus that includes multistory apartment buildings and townhomes, retail spots, casual dining restaurants, green spaces, a fitness center and other amenities that the city plans to construct within two years just north of the corner of Evans Avenue and East Rosedale Street. Currently, the area remains largely vacant as redevelopment plans have stalled for two decades, according to previous Fort Worth Report coverage . Kevin Newell, president and CEO of Milwaukee-based developer Royal Capital, said the urban village was designed with significant community input in mind. Get essential daily news for the Fort Worth area. Sign up for insightful, in-depth stories — completely free. “This is a vision of you all,” he told residents gathered at the Bethlehem Center during a Dec. 12 meeting. “Let us know if we’re headed in the right direction.” A grocery store tops the wish list for residents in the 76104 ZIP code, a historically Black area where the life expectancy is 67 years, the lowest in Texas , according to a 2019 UT Southwestern study. The area is known as a food desert since there are few grocers operating in the area. Southside resident Lisa Byrd said she wanted to see a Trader Joe’s grocery open in the 7-acre village that will be built north of the Ella Mae Shamblee Library and Evans Avenue Plaza. “I’m excited either way,” she said. “Anything is better than an empty field.” Officials said they were still trying to secure a food store for the project but acknowledged the challenge of luring grocers, who want an increased neighborhood population to justify opening a location there. Robert Sturns, the city’s economic development director, said the prosperous Near Southside District, west of Interstate 35W, “can’t get traction” to draw interest from grocers despite that area’s increase in residents with several new apartment buildings recently built or under construction. But, he added, the city “is not giving up on the concept.” The urban village plan does call for a market or bodega, but residents said they’ve waited decades for a grocery where they can regularly buy milk, bread, eggs and other food staples. They suggested the former Pinkston’s Mortuary building at 821 East Terrell Ave. could be an ideal spot for a grocery. The project is still being refined, developers said. Terrell Walter, development director of Royal Capital, said the company wants to develop the project to meet the desires of the neighborhood. New mixed-income housing would include 184 units with one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments as well as five “live-work” units in which tenants could use a portion of their living space for retail purposes, such as a nail salon. Three- and four-story apartment buildings would be built by the I-35W frontage road with attractive, two-story townhomes on Evans and in between the apartment buildings. The housing would offer a range of rental charges to make it affordable for all income brackets. One apartment building is targeted for residents 55 years or older. The project, which includes 247 controlled-access parking spaces scattered between housing units, emphasizes walkability and retail options for restaurants, food trucks, health and wellness, banking and other services. Green spaces are planned as well. The village’s modern design would be complemented by the use of historic red bricks to tie in with Evans Avenue Plaza and other historic buildings in the neighborhood. Bryan Mays, senior manager of capital markets and finance at Royal Capital, said the developer will seek more community engagement as it will take eight to 14 months to complete engineering and traffic studies and obtain approvals for architectural designs. Several community sessions will be planned. It will also take months to hire subcontractors and complete negotiations as the village’s design is refined and individual parcels owned by multiple entities are secured. “A lot of processes still need to occur,” Sturns added. Once those processes are completed, a groundbreaking ceremony will be scheduled. The project has taken decades to reach fruition. Fort Worth started acquiring tracts in the neighborhood in the 1990s and issued two unsuccessful calls for development proposals in 2002 and 2006. Royal Capital took over the project in the fall after Fort Worth officials launched a new search in March. That process commenced after the city dropped Hoque Global, its previous developer , late last year. City officials canceled the contract with Hoque Global because it had trouble securing financing for a proposed $70 million development under deadlines laid out by city staff. Hoque Global also struggled to attract minority subcontractors as the city’s incentive deal required; the company would have received $19.7 million in land, grants and payments from the Southside Tax Increment Financing District, the Fort Worth Report previously reported . To reach out to the community, Royal Capital held a Sept. 25 fireside chat at the Shamblee library to introduce team members to the community. During a block party on Oct. 23, more than 100 residents provided ideas and suggestions for Royal Capital to include in their vision for the project. Residents said affordable housing, a grocery store, retail shops, sit-down restaurants, green spaces and community venues were needed to improve the neighborhood after decades of promises by city leaders. The project has $4.5 million in dedicated city funding. Officials initially planned to use federal COVID-19 pandemic relief dollars but that plan was shuttered because of federal deadlines. As part of a special taxing district, a share of property taxes from the area is reinvested back into the community. Since the late 1990s, the city of Fort Worth has invested over $30 million in infrastructure, redevelopment and planning efforts. Transparency will be a big part of the project’s community engagement process, Fort Worth City Council member Chris Nettles said. “I will tell you that we are very intentional in what’s going to happen on this land,” he said. “And so that’s why, each and every time we go to the second phase, the next phase, we want to come to the community and share with you.” Developers and city officials said the area’s revitalization will coincide with the 2026 opening of the National Juneteenth Museum, currently planned to be built at the site of the Southside Community Center located at 959 E. Rosedale St. During a question and answer session, residents chimed in with multiple suggestions for the project. They’d like to see speed bumps to slow traffic down, more shading to endure Texas summers and improved security or police patrols in response to the neighborhood’s issues with people experiencing homelessness. Kristina Banda, a member of the Historic Southside Neighborhood Association, said she was excited and hopeful that the project would become a community asset. “The neighborhood has been asking for this for a long time,” she said. The Rev. Chad Steans, associate minister at Cedar Crest Cathedral in Dallas, said he was optimistic about the development. Steans grew up in the Historic Southside. “This would be nice if it can all come together,” he said. Johnny Lewis, former vice president of the Historic Southside Neighborhood Association, said he appreciated the efforts of Royal Capital and city officials. “They came in to listen to the community,” Lewis said. “That doesn’t always happen in areas with a lot of Black and brown residents. I’m hopeful because they’ll listen to us.” Added Mike Brennan, president of Near Southside Inc.: “If they can strike a balance between honoring the community and the history of the neighborhood and deliver a project that is forward-thinking, that would be a huge success.” Eric E. Garcia is a senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org . At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here . Related Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative for adhering to standards for ethical journalism . Republish This Story Republishing is free for noncommercial entities. Commercial entities are prohibited without a licensing agreement. Contact us for details. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License . 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If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using @FortWorthReport on Facebook and @FortWorthReport on Twitter. You have to credit Fort Worth Report. Please use “Author Name, Fort Worth Report” in the byline. If you’re not able to add the byline, please include a line at the top of the story that reads: “This story was originally published by Fort Worth Report” and include our website, fortworthreport.org . You can’t edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style. Our stories may appear on pages with ads, but not ads specifically sold against our stories. You can’t sell or syndicate our stories. You can only publish select stories individually — not as a collection. Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization. If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using @FortWorthReport on Facebook and @FortWorthReport on Twitter. by Eric E. Garcia, Fort Worth Report December 13, 2024By Emily Rose JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Al Jazeera television has clashed with the Palestinian Authority over its coverage of the weeks-long standoff between Palestinian security forces and militant fighters in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin. Fatah, the faction which controls the Palestinian Authority, condemned the Qatari-headquartered network, which has reported extensively on the clashes in Jenin, saying it was sowing division in "our Arab homeland in general and in Palestine in particular". It encouraged Palestinians not to cooperate with the network. Israel closed down Al Jazeera's operations in Israel in May, saying it threatened national security. In September, it ordered the network's bureau in Ramallah, to close for 45 days after an intelligence assessment that the offices were being used to support terrorist activities. "Al Jazeera has successfully maintained its professionalism throughout its coverage of the unfolding events in Jenin," it said in a statement on Tuesday. Palestinian Authority security forces have battled Islamist fighters in Jenin, as they try to control one of the historic centres of militancy in the West Bank ahead of a likely shakeout in Palestinian politics after the Gaza war. Forces of the PA, which exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank, moved into Jenin in early December, clashing daily with fighters from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, both of which are supported by Iran. The standoff has fuelled bitter anger on both sides, deepening the divisions which have long existed between the Palestinian factions and their supporters. Al Jazeera said its broadcasts fairly presented the views of both sides. "The voices of both the Palestinian resistance and the Spokesperson of the Palestinian National Security Forces have always been present on Al Jazeera’s screens," Al Jazeera said. (Reporting by Emily Rose, Ali Sawafta, editing by Ed Osmond)
(CNN) — While public anxieties have loomed over the Northeast amid possible drone sightings , one sighting will soon bring holiday cheer across the country: Santa Claus. The North American Aerospace Defense Command is once again prepared to track Santa and his reindeer around the world. NORAD, which is responsible for protecting the skies over the United States and Canada, activates its Santa tracking system at 6 a.m. ET on Christmas Eve. Santa watchers can follow his journey on NORAD’s website or they can call the command center at 1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723) to participate in the yearly Christmas tradition. The tracking service can also be accessed through the NORAD Tracks Santa app, social media, Amazon Alexa, OnStar and SiriusXM, according to NORAD. This is the 69th year NORAD has tracked Santa’s yuletide journey around the world. It started by accident, according to NORAD’s website , in 1955 when a local newspaper advertisement informed children they could call Santa directly — only the contact number was misprinted. Instead of ringing Old Saint Nick, a child called the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Air Force Col. Harry Shoup, who answered the child’s call, was quick to realize the mistake and assured the child he was Santa, according to the website. After more calls, Shoup assigned an officer to answer the calls, “and a tradition was born.” That tradition continued when NORAD was formed in 1958. The Santa tracker site receives millions of visitors from around the world each year, according to NORAD, and volunteers typically answer more than 130,000 calls.Unrivaled signs LSU star Flau'jae Johnson to NIL deal
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Hal Lindsey, a former New Orleans tugboat captain who embraced end-of-days Christian prophecies and helped sharpen evangelical focus on the Middle East with a book that predicted apocalyptic warfare and sold tens of millions of copies, died Nov. 25 at his home in Tulsa. He was 95. The death was announced on his website, but no cause was noted. The cataclysmal scenarios in Lindsey’s “The Late Great Planet Earth,” first published in 1970, tapped into a long tradition of doomsday visions by American preachers and zealots. One movement in the 1840s led by Baptist clergyman William Miller had tens of thousands of followers awaiting the end of the world. Lindsey did not note any precise dates in his bestseller but used political and culture references that gave a contemporary context. His book (written with Carole C. Carlson) overlaid selected passages from scripture with Cold War-era fears — including forecasting a world war starting in the Middle East — that seemed starkly relevant to many Christian readers and others. Mr. Lindsey said part of his aim was to draw greater attention to belief in the second coming of Jesus and “the most thrilling, optimistic view of what the future could hold.” Yet all that would be preceded by global death and destruction on a mind-boggling scale, according to his writings. “I’ve always wanted to talk to the people who wouldn’t darken the door of a church,” he told the Religion News Service in 1997. “I hope my books would lead them to a curiosity that would drive them to search out these things more carefully, and as a result, come to faith.” Bantam Books acquired the mass-market paperback rights from the original publisher, Zondervan, a small religious imprint. “The Late Great Planet Earth” became a fixture on bestseller lists for much of the 1970s and in 1978 was made into a documentary hosted by Orson Welles. The book also helped launch a subgenre of Christian books with eschatological themes that included evangelist Billy Graham’s “Approaching Hoofbeats: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” (1983). None of the books matched the reach of “The Late Great Planet Earth,” which has sold an estimated 35 million copies in about 50 languages, according to Christianity Today magazine and other outlets. For Lindsey, the book provided the foundations for his rise as a powerful voice in Christian media. (His collaborator Carlson died in 1999.) He wrote more than 20 other books and established the Hal Lindsey Ministries, which led trips to the Holy Land and produced shows such as the “Week in Review,” a call-in program hosted by Mr. Lindsey that aired on more than 70 Christian radio stations. In “The Late Great Planet Earth,” he depicted domino-effect crises such as famines, social strife and a Russian invasion of Israel that leads to global nuclear war. “Imagine,” he wrote, “cities like London, Paris, Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago — obliterated!” Then, as the “battle of Armageddon” threatens all life on earth, “Jesus Christ will return and save man from self-extinction,” he wrote. While he presented no specific time frames, Mr. Lindsey suggested harbingers of the end times were already in place, including the declaration of Israeli statehood in 1948 and its wartime victories in 1967 that left Israel in de facto control of Jerusalem and other areas. His views helped shape the priorities of many Christian evangelical groups that strongly support Israel. “For all its prophetic razzle-dazzle, ‘The Late Great Planet Earth’ was essentially an evangelistic exercise,” wrote Timothy Weber, a scholar of American Christian history and former dean of the Northern Baptist Theological Seminary (now the Northern Seminary) in Illinois. After “The Late Great Planet Earth,” Lindsey began to suggest that biblical prophecies could be completed by “1988 or so” — around four decades after the founding of the Israeli state. As the years passed after 1988, Lindsey tried to regroup by interpreting events such as the Gulf War in 1991 and the 9/11 terrorist attacks as part of the end-time puzzle being revealed. “There’s just a split second’s difference between a hero and a bum,” Mr. Lindsey told Christianity Today. “I didn’t ask to be a hero, but I guess I have become one in the Christian community. So I accept it. But if I’m wrong about this, I guess I’ll become a bum.” At the same time, his increasingly hostile rhetoric toward Islam brought criticism from mainstream religious leaders and led the influential Trinity Broadcasting Network to temporarily cancel carrying Lindsey’s show. Among his comments were portrayals of Palestinians as “usurpers” of land that he said God promised to the “descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” Trinity returned his show to its airwaves in 2007 after a more than one-year hiatus. Lindsey also faced questions about how much he used donor funds to bankroll a lifestyle that included luxury properties and salaries totaling more than $1.1 million for him and his wife, Jo Lynn. In February, the religious-affairs monitoring group MinistryWatch put the Hal Lindsey Website Ministries in a category that advised donors to “give with caution.” A MinistryWatch analysis said Mr. Lindsey’s organization spent about $3 million on outreach programs from net assets of about $25 million. Harold Lee Lindsey was born in Houston on Nov. 23, 1929. He enrolled at the University of Houston but left to join the Coast Guard during the Korean War, serving in New Orleans and later becoming a tugboat skipper in the Mississippi Delta. “I was pretty much content with living in the French Quarter and having every other week off with a full paycheck,” he told the AP in 1998. “But then I came to a point where I’d say, ‘What do you do for an encore?’ And that’s when I started searching.” He began reading the Bible, he recounted, and said he had a “born again” experience after meeting a Houston pastor, Robert Thieme Jr. Lindsey left his job to study at the Dallas Theological Seminary, a center of dispensationalist theology that includes a doctrine of events and time periods that lead to the return of Jesus. He graduated in 1962 and joined the Campus Crusade for Christ (now Cru) and made his base the University of California at Los Angeles, seeking to evangelize students. His other books include “The 1980’s: Countdown to Armageddon” (1981); “Prophetical Walk through the Holy Land” (1983) and “The Everlasting Hatred: The Roots of Jihad” (2002). Mr. Lindsay was divorced three times. Survivors include his fourth wife, Jo Lynn Lindsey; and three daughters from his second marriage, to Jan Houghton. He often portrayed the target audience of “The Late Great Planet Earth” as the student skeptics he encountered as a campus evangelist. “As I wrote, I’d imagine that I was sitting across the table from a young person — a cynical, irreligious person — and I’d try to convince him that the Bible prophecies were true,” he wrote.” “If you can make a young person understand, then the others will understand, too.”Perma-Pipe International Holdings, Inc. Announces Third Quarter Financial ResultsNottingham tram network says its £26m loss is 'in line with expectations'
Man accused in burning death of a woman on New York subway appears in courtPresident Andrea Langella of Juve Stabia and Daniel McClory, Executive Chairman of Brera Holdings PLC, announcing the partnership in Naples on December 9, 2024 Dublin, Ireland and Milan, Italy, Dec. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brera Holdings PLC ("Brera Holdings") (Nasdaq: BREA), an Ireland-based, Nasdaq-listed, international holding company focused on expanding its global portfolio of men's and women's sports clubs through a multi-club ownership ("MCO") approach, today announced the details of its three-step acquisition process that will result in the acquisition of a majority equity ownership interest in Italian Serie B football club SS Juve Stabia SpA ("Juve Stabia" or "the Club"). Brera Holdings previously announced the signing of a binding term sheet for the Juve Stabia acquisition at a press conference in Naples on December 9, 2024, and it marks a significant expansion of the Company’s MCO model, strategically designed to drive operational synergies, enhance shareholder value, and unlock long-term growth opportunities. Juve Stabia, an historic Serie B football club celebrating 117 years of tradition, now known as “The Second Team of Naples,” continues to showcase its competitive strength, highlighted by last weekend’s 1-0 victory against Cesena FC. Juve Stabia now sits alone in fourth place in the Serie B table, with 28 points and 2 points over fifth-ranked US Cremonese – just behind Sassuolo, Spezia, and Pisa. The top three Serie B teams are promoted to Serie A at the end of the season, with the first two automatic qualifiers, and the third is determined by a playoff among teams finishing the season standings ranked three through six. Key Highlights of the Acquisition Process: Investments and Share Purchase Agreement (“SPA”) – Brera Holdings has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Juve Stabia through share capital and reserve increases in the Club. These will be made by Brera via cash payments and issuances of BREA’s shares in a three-step process that ensures a seamless transition and continuity in club management. These three steps, upon conclusion, will give Brera Holdings 22%, 38%, and ~52% ownership of the Club. Upon completion of these three steps, Brera will be the Club’s majority shareholder, and a Shareholder Agreement with the current sole owner, Andrea Langella, will further enable integration into its multi-club framework. The first step, giving Brera 22% ownership, is expected to conclude by December 31, 2024. Milestone-Based Compensation – The SPA includes provisions for additional compensation to Mr. Langella tied to performance-based milestones, such as qualification for Serie B promotion playoffs and promotion to Serie A. These incentives align Brera’s interests with Juve Stabia’s competitive success, reinforcing a focus on operational excellence. Final Closing and Majority Control – The acquisition will conclude with a third and final closing, scheduled for March 31, 2025. At that point, Brera Holdings will secure ~52% ownership, establishing Brera as the controlling shareholder and enabling immediate integration of the Club into the Company’s multi-club framework. This phased approach ensures a seamless transition and continuity in Club management and prepares the Club for an IFRS audit according to the PCAOB guidelines for SEC disclosure filings. Strategic Rationale for the Acquisition Brera’s acquisition of Juve Stabia underscores its commitment to scaling its MCO model, which targets achieving potential operational efficiencies, cost synergies, and streamlined talent development across its portfolio. By integrating Juve Stabia into this model, Brera strengthens its ability to enhance revenue growth and create long-term value for shareholders. “With Serie B’s expanding commercial prospects, Juve Stabia offers a compelling opportunity for growth,” said Daniel McClory, Executive Chairman of Brera Holdings. “We are excited to partner with local management and invest in this historic team to capitalize on player trading opportunities, potentially secure a position in the Serie B playoffs, and ultimately pursue promotion to Serie A, all of which would augment Club revenue and unlock further value for our investors.” Looking Ahead As Brera Holdings progresses through the Juve Stabia acquisition timeline, Mr. McClory said the Company remains committed to supporting the Club’s ambitions on and off the field. With a focus on scalable operations and strategic partnerships, we believe Brera is well-positioned to capitalize on emerging opportunities in the global football market. ABOUT BRERA HOLDINGS PLC Brera Holdings PLC (Nasdaq: BREA) is dedicated to expanding its social impact football business by developing a global portfolio of emerging football and sports clubs. Building on the legacy of Brera FC, which it acquired in 2022, the Company aims to create opportunities for tournament prizes, sponsorships, and professional consulting services. Brera FC, recognized as "The Third Team of Milan," has been crafting an alternative football legacy since its founding in 2000. The club also organizes the FENIX Trophy, a nonprofessional pan-European tournament acknowledged by UEFA. This tournament, which has been referred to as "the Champions League for amateurs" by BBC Sport, has garnered significant media coverage, including from ESPN. In its efforts to broaden its reach, Brera expanded into Africa in March 2023 by establishing Brera Tchumene FC in Mozambique, which quickly rose to the First Division after winning its post-season tournament. In April 2023, the Company acquired a 90% stake in the North Macedonian first-division team Fudbalski Klub Akademija Pandev, now known as Brera Strumica FC. Additionally, in June 2023, Brera made a strategic investment in Manchester United PLC, realizing a 74% gain. The Company has further diversified its portfolio by acquiring a majority stake in UYBA Volley, an Italian women's professional volleyball team, in July 2023, assuming control of Bayanzurkh Sporting Ilch FC, a Mongolian National Premier League team, which became Brera Ilch FC, in September 2023, and establishing a joint stock company for the North Macedonian women's football club Tiverija Strumica, now known as Brera Tiverija FC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Brera Strumica FC, in June 2024. Most recently, Brera announced plans to acquire an Italian Serie B club, having signed a binding term sheet with SS Juve Stabia SpA, “The Second Team of Naples,” targeting an initial closing within 2024. With a focus on bottom-up value creation, innovation-driven growth, and socially impactful outcomes, Brera Holdings endeavors to position itself as a forward-thinking player in the global sports landscape. For more information, visit www.breraholdings.com . Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Such statements include statements regarding the Company's ability to grow its business and other statements that are not historical facts, including statements which may be accompanied by the words "intends," "may," "will," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," "projects," "predicts," "estimates," "aims," "believes," "hopes," "potential" or similar words. Actual results could differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including without limitation, the Company's ability to continue as a going concern, the popularity and/or competitive success of the Company's acquired football and other sports teams, the Company's ability to attract players and staff for acquired clubs, unsuccessful acquisitions or other strategic transactions, the possibility of a decline in the popularity of football or other sports, the Company's ability to expand its fanbase, sponsors and commercial partners, general economic conditions, and other risk factors detailed in the Company's filings with the SEC. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any responsibility to update such forward-looking statements except in accordance with applicable law. Company Contact Information: Dan McClory, Executive Chairman, Brera Holdings PLC Email: dan@breraholdings.com Investor Relations Inquiries: Skyline Corporate Communications Group, LLC Scott Powell, President 1177 Avenue of the Americas, 5th Floor New York, New York 10036 Office: (646) 893-5835 Email: info@skylineccg.com Attachment President Andrea Langella of Juve Stabia and Daniel McClory, Executive Chairman of Brera Holdings PLC
Axar Patel shared a heartfelt photo depicting little Haksh holding his parents' hands. India spin all-rounder Axar Patel took to social media on Tuesday to announce the arrival of his baby boy, Haksh Patel, who was adorably dressed in a tiny national jersey. The 30-year-old cricketer shared a heartfelt photo depicting little Haksh holding his parents' hands. Haksh was born on December 19. "He's still figuring out the off side from the leg, but we couldn't wait to introduce him to all of you in blue. World, welcome Haksh Patel, India’s smallest, yet biggest fan, and the most special piece of our hearts," Axar wrote in his post. Haksh is the first child of Axar and his wife, Meha, who got married in January 2023. India captain Rohit Sharma had said during a pre-match press conference ahead of the Boxing day Test against Australia that Axar was not considered for the last two Test matches, partly, due to the recent addition of a baby to his family. Mumbai off-spin all-rounder Tanush Kotian has been selected for the remaining two Tests following the sudden retirement of Ravichandran Ashwin. Stay informed on all the latest news , real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in india news and world News on Zee News.United Way gets $1.3M federal grant for youth job trainingNone
Steelers' Arthur Smith Predicts Team Will Reveal True Self Now That 'Great Vibes' Are GoneJavon Small scored 31 points to rally West Virginia to an 86-78 overtime upset of No. 3 Gonzaga in the opening round of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament, Wednesday in Nassau, Bahamas. The Mountaineers (4-1) trailed by 10 points early in the second half and by five in the final minute. But over the final 19 seconds of regulation, Tucker DeVries scored five straight points to send the game to overtime. In the extra session, Small scored five points and West Virginia held Gonzaga to a single field goal, which came after the outcome was decided with 19 seconds left. Amani Hansberry added a career-high 19 points and eight rebounds for West Virginia, which advances to the semifinals Thursday against another surprise first-round winner, Louisville, which stunned No. 15 Indiana. Braden Huff scored 19 points and Khalif Battle added 16 points for Gonzaga (5-1) which settles for a consolation-round game Thursday against Indiana. Nolan Hickman tallied 13 points. Ryan Nembhard delivered seven points and 12 assists for the Bulldogs. Huff put Gonzaga in position to win when he made three hook shots in the final 2:34 of regulation as the Bulldogs turned a one-point deficit into a 69-66 lead. Two free throws by Nembhard expanded the lead to 71-66 with 25 seconds left. But DeVries followed with a 3-pointer from the top of the key and then made a mid-court steal and drew a foul with 5.9 seconds left. His two free throws sent it to overtime. The Mountaineers never trailed in overtime. Sencire Harris wrapped it up with a steal and a breakaway slam that put West Virginia up 84-76 with 26 seconds left. Battle, a transfer from Arkansas, scored eight points in a span of 90 seconds late in the first half as the Bulldogs took control on their way to a 39-31 lead at the break. Gonzaga earned its biggest lead early in the second half when Graham Ike scored inside with an assist from Nembhard to make it 43-33. But West Virginia responded with a 17-2 run, fueled by Small as he hit two 3-pointers and two layups. Hansberry drained a trey and DeVries grinded for a putback layup to give the Mountaineers a 50-45 lead with 12:26 left. DeVries finished the game with 16 points and four blocks. --Field Level MediaOsisko Metals Acquires Additional Claims Near Gaspé Copper
AP Business SummaryBrief at 12:31 p.m. ESTWASHINGTON — The Supreme Court voted Friday to hear a potentially far-reaching claim of religious freedom and decide whether church-sponsored charities, programs and businesses may refuse to pay state unemployment taxes for their employees. All states exempt churches and church programs from the taxes if they "operate primarily for religious purposes." But they usually require affiliated schools, colleges, hospitals and other businesses to pay unemployment taxes if they are open to all and do not offer worship services or religious training. In a case from Wisconsin, the justices will reconsider that approach and decide whether instead to require the states to defer to religious authorities. The appeal that will be heard argues the government may not "second-guess the religious decisions" of church authorities who seek an exemption. The dispute began with Black River Industries, Barron County Developmental Services and two other small nonprofit corporations that are funded by state or federal grants to provide services for people with developmental disabilities. They are now controlled by Catholic Charities that sued to seek an exemption from the unemployment taxes. Their lawyers argued those charitable programs are motivated by "sincerely held religious beliefs and to carry out the religious mission" of the church. Therefore, they said, it violates the Constitution to require Catholic Charities to pay unemployment taxes, noting the church has its own program of unemployment coverage. The Wisconsin Supreme Court disagreed in a 4-3 ruling and upheld the state taxes. It said the four programs were "charitable" and "educational," but not primarily religious. Lawyers for Becket Fund for Religious Liberty appealed and urged the court to overturn the Wisconsin ruling. The case comes before a high court that has repeatedly ruled in favor of religious claims over the last decade. In one line of cases, the justices said churches and religious claimants are entitled to equal state benefits, including grants to pay for playgrounds at a church school or tuition grants for parents to send children to religious schools. In another line of cases, they ruled religious organizations are freed from government regulation of their employees. Four years ago, for example, they ruled that two Catholic school teachers in Los Angeles who were fired could not sue alleging they were victims of discrimination. A year later, the court ruled that as a matter of religious freedom, Catholic Social Services had a right to participate in a city-sponsored foster care program in Philadelphia and receive payments for doing so, even though it refused to work with same-sex couples as required by the city. The court also ruled that private businesses such as the Hobby Lobby stores and church-sponsored entities had a religious liberty right to refuse to provide contraceptive coverage for their employees as required by federal law. In the Wisconsin case, a group of religious liberty scholars urged the court to rule the government must "defer" to church authorities in matters involving their organizations. "This case involves severe governmental interference with religious liberty that strikes at the heart of the 1st Amendment's most basic guarantees," they wrote in a friend-of-the-court brief . They said "courts must defer to how the religious group defines its message." The Catholic Conference of Illinois was among the church groups that urged the court to hear the case. Its brief noted that its bishops speak for 949 parishes, 46 Catholic hospitals, 21 health care centers, 11 colleges and universities, 424 schools and 527 Catholic cemeteries. The court is likely to schedule arguments in the Wisconsin case in March or April and issue a ruling by the end of June. "Wisconsin is trying to make sure no good deed goes unpunished," said Eric Rassbach, vice president and senior counsel at Becket. "Penalizing Catholic Charities for serving Catholics and non-Catholics alike is ridiculous and wrong. We are confident the Supreme Court will reject the Wisconsin Supreme Court's absurd ruling." ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
CONCORD, N.H.—New Hampshire state legislator Rep. Jennifer Mandelbaum (D-Rockingham 21) has been selected to join the 2025-26 cohort of Future Caucus Innovation Fellows. This two-year fellowship brings together 64 emerging leaders from 34 states who are committed to bridging political divides and tackling the most pressing issues in their communities. The Future Caucus Innovation Fellowship provides fellows with the tools, expertise, and networks to shape policy solutions on critical topics. Participants select from four policy tracks: Civic Innovation, Energy & Environment, Prenatal-to-Three, and Criminal Justice. Mandelbaum will focus on the Prenatal-to-Three track. The fellowship includes access to briefings with policy experts, a comprehensive library of evidence-based research, and networking opportunities with fellow lawmakers tackling similar issues across the country. Fellows will also gain firsthand insights during experiential learning trips to organizations working on the ground in their chosen policy areas. The program culminates in attendance at Future Caucus’ annual Futures Thinking Forum and Rising Star Awards , held this year in Washington, D.C., where fellows will have the chance to further expand their influence and leadership in state and national policymaking.
Authored by Jonathan Turley, From looking forward to harassment at restaurants to the purchase of Antifa-themed Christmas gifts, some appear to be planning for a hate-fest in the New Year... “May Trump supporters and Trump voters and Trump himself never know peace.” Those words, from Disney’s new Snow White actress Rachel Zegler, came shortly after half of the country, roughly 77 million Americans, voted for Donald Trump. Only a few weeks ago, Kamala Harris and her supporters were rallying the country to choose “love over hate.” Now, the “joy” is gone. Tis the season of the liberal hate-fest. As Washington prepares for the inauguration, we are seeing a return to rage. During the first Trump administration, liberal servers and restaurant owners pledged not to serve Trump officials. Now, the Washingtonian is reporting on the planned resumption of the harassment of those serving in the Trump administration. Zac Hoffman, manager at the National Democratic Club and “D.C. restaurant veteran,” told the magazine that abusing conservatives was only natural and understandable: “You expect the masses to just ignore RFK eating at Le Diplomate on a Sunday morning after a few mimosas and not to throw a drink in his face?” One bartender stated that: Trump people may “theoretically [have] the power to take away your rights, but I have the power to make you wait 20 minutes to get your entrée.” Suzannah Van Rooy, a server and manager at Beuchert’s Saloon on Capitol Hill, declared that she would not serve some Trump officials. “It’s not, ‘Oh, we hate Republicans,’” she said. “It’s that this person has moral convictions that are strongly opposed to mine, and I don’t feel comfortable serving them.” Beuchert’s later fired Van Rooy . This campaign of hate is all too familiar to conservatives. Many remember when White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and her family were kicked out of the Red Hen restaurant in Lexington, Virginia. As others were denied service or chased from restaurants, Democratic members like Rep. Maxine Waters, D-CA, supported such harassment. For those restaurants not willing to follow the Red Hen model , the response was equally unhinged. Mariya Rusciano runs a D.C. pizza restaurant. She posted congratulations to Trump on X after the election to encourage everyone to come together as a nation. The response from Democrats was furious, filled with pledges to boycott the restaurant and force it out of business. It is not just service and civility that are scarce in Washington. Even while accusing Trump of putting his political and personal interests ahead of the nation, Biden is now reportedly moving to veto a bipartisan bill to relieve pressure on our overwhelmed court system. The Judges Act, supported by both Democrats and Republicans, would add 66 new judgeships to an over-worked court system. The White House supported the bill right up until Trump won the election. While some Democrats are still trying to get the White House to change its mind, liberal groups are applauding the expected veto “to prevent President Trump from having more vacancies.” If Biden carries out his threat, it will be not only gratuitous but illogical. The bill deliberately staggers the addition of judges over the next decade so that presidents of both parties will presumably be able to appoint them. Moreover, the Senate is still closely divided, and “blue-slipping” (whereby senators can hold up some nominations) remains in effect. More importantly, the reason for this bipartisan effort is due to a dire need for our courts. Judges are drowning in dockets with rising caseloads. In 2004, the number of cases in district court pending for more than three years was 18,280. This year, there are 81,617. If justice delayed is justice denied, our court system is becoming a tar pit of injustice, with litigants left without verdicts or relief for years. The word of the intended veto stripped away any pretense of the White House putting the public interest before politics. A veto would put rage before reason. In my recent book , I discussed how addictive rage is. People do not like to admit it, but they like being angry. Sometimes, people can choose madness as a release from reality. It offers a righteous license to slip from the bounds of civility and decency. It allows people to harass Republicans in restaurants or to scream profanities outside of their homes. It allows a president to say that he might block judgeships for a struggling court system, just because he does not want his successor to make any of the appointments. It is the reason 41 percent of adults under 30 believe that killing others, like healthcare executives, is justified, according to an Emerson College poll . We cannot seem to shake this rage addiction even after an election or during a holiday committed to peace and understanding. One liberal site, Crooked Media, is actually selling holiday items featuring the violent extremist group Antifa — one of the most anti-free speech groups in history, which routinely attacks journalists, speakers, and conservative demonstrators. Created by former Obama staffers Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor, the Crooked Media site is selling a line of Antifa items for liberals, including Antifa onesies for infants and “Antifa Dad” shirts to seemingly celebrate political violence. It seems the joy, bipartisanship, and civility have all expired like last year’s eggnog. Even Disney’s new Snow White seems to have taken the cue from the Evil Queen and treated this election as “ a blast of wind to fan my hate .” And we are not even at the inauguration yet. * * * Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro professor of public interest law at George Washington University and the author of “ The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage .”
Before Game 1 of the World Series against the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman made his intentions clear. The architect of MLB’s most imposing juggernaut wore a light blue, button-down shirt, the sleeves rolled up past his wrists. A 5 o’clock shadow dotted his sleepless face. In his left hand, a silver coffee tumbler amplified the aesthetic of a man determined to make his mark. Asked by a member of the media to share his thoughts on “people who say these two teams are here just because they spend the most money,” Friedman was predictably unapologetic. He mentioned the “unique challenges that each market has” and insisted the dynamic isn’t something he thinks about often. Instead, Friedman laid out the franchise’s master plan. “My ultimate, kind of big-picture goal is that when we are done, that we're able to look back and say that was the golden era of Dodger baseball, and that is an incredibly high bar to even say that,” he said. “That's where my focus is.” A week later, Friedman’s Dodgers were . At some point in the jubilant aftermath, it surely crossed his mind that no MLB team has won back-to-back World Series since 1999-2000. Less than a month after raising that golden trophy, Friedman signaled that his Dodgers are determined to end that streak. Late Tuesday night, the reigning champs with left-handed starter Blake Snell, a two-time Cy Young award winner who spent the 2024 season pitching for the rival San Francisco Giants. According to reports from The Athletic and the L.A. Times, Snell’s contract features deferred money and a $52 million signing bonus. The Dodgers have yet to officially confirm the deal, but the goateed hurler posted to Instagram At his best, Snell . Since 2021, he has the third-highest strikeout rate in MLB, behind Braves hurler Spencer Strider and his new (and former) teammate Tyler Glasnow. Snell’s .195 batting average against is also the second-best mark in the league over that time (also behind Glasnow). Only Strider has conjured more swing-and-miss. That said, Snell’s walk rate — second-worst since 2021 — is an unavoidable pockmark and limits his ability to work deep into starts, but the overall track record is undeniable. There are few pitchers you’d rather have across six innings. For Snell, who turns 32 next week, this contract was a long time coming. Drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays out of a Seattle high school in 2011, Snell debuted in 2016 and immediately established himself as one of the game’s most dominant, albeit walk-prone, starting pitchers. In 2018, he captured his first Cy Young award, earning him a $50 million contract extension through 2023. After the 2020 season, Tampa Bay dealt him to the San Diego Padres, and in 2023, Snell won his second Cy Young Award as he entered free agency for the first time. It was a season that should have earned him a hefty contract on the open market. But that never materialized. All winter and into the spring, Snell waited for a number that met his fancy. Spring training arrived. His contemporaries flocked to the warm weather comfort of Arizona and Florida to prepare themselves for the marathon of the season. Snell, unsigned, with nowhere to go, stayed up north at his home in Seattle. Another month passed. The asking price from Snell and his agent, Scott Boras, surely shrunk. Boras, who represented three other major free agents whose negotiations lingered into the spring, received an avalanche of criticism. Then, on March 19, just one day before the Dodgers and Padres opened the regular season in South Korea, Snell signed a two-year pact with the San Francisco Giants. The contract paid the left-hander $31 million per season and included an opt-out after 2024. It gave Snell a hefty chunk of change and offered him the opportunity to retest the market a year later. But it was certainly not the lengthy, career-defining contract that Snell and Boras were gunning for. Then things got worse, with the delayed start to Snell’s 2024 impacting his health and effectiveness. The southpaw made just six starts before July, bouncing on and off the injured list while pitching to an astronomical 9.51 ERA. He seemed destined to decline his opt-out and return to San Francisco for the second year of his deal. Instead, he turned it on. From his return on July 9 until the end of the season, Snell scintillated. Across 13 starts, the left-hander pitched to a 1.33 ERA with 105 strikeouts in 74 1⁄3 innings. On July 27, he struck out 15 Colorado Rockies in six innings. In his next start, Snell threw a no-hitter, the first of his career, against the Cincinnati Reds. That remarkable turnaround motivated him to exercise his opt-out at season’s end and test the open market once again. This time, he wasn’t waiting around. Snell will sit down at his Thanksgiving table on Thursday with a whole lot more turkey to his name. For Snell, Los Angeles is an obvious fit. The money is right. The team is outstanding. The weather is beautiful. The coaching staff has a reputation for helping players excel. Who wouldn’t want to play for the Dodgers? Maybe Chavez Ravine is an obvious fit for everyone. And any team could have used Blake Snell. He’s capable of starting Game 1 or Game 2 of a postseason series for every single franchise in baseball. The Dodgers, who weathered an onslaught of pitching injuries during their triumphant World Series campaign, know the value of a quality starting pitcher all too well. In L.A., Snell joins a staff stocked with superstars. Glasnow, Snell’s old rotation-mate in Tampa, was an All-Star in 2024 and a near lock to start Game 1 in October until an elbow ailment in August sent him to the IL. He’s set to be healthy come spring training. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, whose $325 million deal last offseason represented the biggest contract ever for a pitcher, struggled with injuries as a rookie but came through in October, tossing to a 1.72 ERA across his final three playoff starts. Then there’s two-way dynamo Shohei Ohtani, who famously didn’t pitch in 2024 as he recovered from elbow surgery. The NL MVP, who has a career 3.01 ERA with 608 strikeouts in 481 2⁄3 innings, is expected to be a full go come Opening Day. The Dodgers' other starting pitching options include: Future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw, who is technically a free agent but expressed his intention to re-sign with the Dodgers for another season. Tony Gonsolin, who missed all of 2024 recovering from elbow surgery but posted the second-lowest ERA in baseball from 2020 to 2022 behind only Jacob deGrom (minimum 200 innings pitched). Bobby Miller, a 25-year-old former first-round pick and top prospect who looked set to star for the Dodgers after dazzling in 2023. He struggled mightily in 2024 but remains a promising starting pitching option for the future. Dustin May, who also missed 2024 due to injuries but looked like a breakout candidate in 2023, pitching to a 2.63 ERA across his first nine starts. He’s expected to be healthy for Opening Day. Ben Casparius, Los Angeles’ starter for Game 4 of the World Series. The 25-year-old worked in shorter bursts during the club’s postseason run but remains an enticing multi-inning option. It is a comical embarrassment of riches, yes, but it’s also a mystery box of unknowns. Every pitcher on this list comes with enormous questions, either in health or effectiveness. Pitching is volatile, and the only way to combat that volatility, as the 2024 Dodgers showed, is by employing enough starters to overwhelm the inevitable attrition. Snell is just another piece of that plan. It’s an obvious, effective strategy for the Dodgers, one made possible by (1) being outstanding at development and (2) spending gobs of money in free agency, something more teams should be doing. In signing Snell, the Dodgers, a fully operational financial behemoth, are flexing their muscles. Snell, in joining the Dodgers, cashed in on a near-decade of dominance. Both rich just got richer.Presenters Amanda Holden and Alan Carr led the stars arriving at the 2024 Royal Variety Performance, hours after the Queen pulled out due to lingering symptoms from a chest infection. The King is scheduled to attend the show at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Friday which will see Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish present a musical number from their new show The Devil Wears Prada – based on the 2006 Oscar-nominated film. Cast members Vanessa Williams, who plays Miranda Priestly, and Matt Henry, who stars as art director Nigel, were among those posing on the red carpet ahead of the performance which showcases an original score by Sir Elton. The variety show will also see debuts from British singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor with her hit track Murder On The Dancefloor while Eurovision winner Nemo is also featured on the bill. Also posing on the carpet were US magicians and comedy duo Penn and Teller, whose performance marks their 50th anniversary. Comedy will come from Ted Lasso star Ellie Taylor, writer and comic Scott Bennett, Scottish comedian Larry Dean and political comic Matt Forde – who posed on the red carpet with a crutch after undergoing surgery for cancer on his spine. Among the arrivals was TV presenter Lorraine Kelly, who will make an appearance in this year’s show with her Change And Check Choir led by Wet Wet Wet singer Marti Pellow. The choir, made up of women from across the UK who detected their breast cancer through Kelly’s campaign, will perform Love Is All Around, which is being re-released to raise awareness of breast cancer early detection. It comes hours after Camilla insisted the “show must go on” after pulling out of attending the performance on Friday evening as doctors advised that she should prioritise rest. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “Following a recent chest infection, the Queen continues to experience some lingering post-viral symptoms, as a result of which doctors have advised that, after a busy week of engagements, Her Majesty should prioritise sufficient rest. “With great regret, she has therefore withdrawn from attendance at tonight’s Royal Variety Performance. His Majesty will attend as planned.” A royal source said the Queen was “naturally disappointed to miss the evening’s entertainments and sends her sincere apologies to all those involved, but is a great believer that ‘the show must go on'”. “She hopes to be back to full strength and regular public duties very soon,” the source added. The Royal Variety Performance will air on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player in December. Money raised from the show will go to help people from the world of entertainment in need of care and assistance, with the Royal Variety Charity launching an initiative to help those with mental health issues this year.
WILMINGTON, Del.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 13, 2024-- The Chemours Company (Chemours) (NYSE: CC) today announced the successful repricing of its Tranche B-3 Euro denominated Term Loan under its senior secured term loan facility due in August 2028. The Second Amendment reduces the applicable margin in respect of the Company’s €415,000,000 Euro denominated term loan facility, the “Tranche B-3 Euro Term Loan Facility,” from adjusted EURIBOR + 4.00% to adjusted EURIBOR + 3.25%. There are no changes to the maturity of the Term B-3 Euro Term Loan Facility following this repricing, and all other terms are substantially unchanged. About The Chemours Company The Chemours Company (NYSE: CC) is a global leader in providing industrial and specialty chemicals products for markets, including coatings, plastics, refrigeration and air conditioning, transportation, semiconductor and advanced electronics, general industrial, and oil and gas. Through our three businesses – Thermal & Specialized Solutions, Titanium Technologies, and Advanced Performance Materials – we deliver application expertise and chemistry-based innovations that solve customers’ biggest challenges. Our flagship products are sold under prominent brands such as OpteonTM, FreonTM, Ti-PureTM, NafionTM, TeflonTM, VitonTM, and KrytoxTM. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware and listed on the NYSE under the symbol CC, Chemours has approximately 6,100 employees and 28 manufacturing sites and serves approximately 2,700 customers in approximately 110 countries. For more information, we invite you to visit chemours.com or follow us on X (formerly Twitter) @Chemours or LinkedIn . Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate to a historical or current fact. The words “believe,” “expect,” “will,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “estimate,” “target,” “project” and similar expressions, among others, generally identify “forward-looking statements,” which speak only as of the date such statements were made. Forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and expectations of future events that may not be accurate or realized. Forward-looking statements also involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Chemours’ control. Additionally, there may be other risks and uncertainties that Chemours is unable to identify at this time or that Chemours does not currently expect to have a material impact on its business. Factors that could cause or contribute to these differences include the risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed in Chemours’ filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including in Chemours’ Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, and in Chemours’ Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023. Chemours assumes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement for any reason, except as required by law. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241213987089/en/ CONTACT: INVESTORS Brandon Ontjes VP, Head of Strategy & Investor Relations +1.302.773.3300 investor@chemours.com NEWS MEDIA Cassie Olszewski Media Relations & Reputation Leader +1.302.219.7140 media@chemours.com KEYWORD: DELAWARE UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: CHEMICALS/PLASTICS MANUFACTURING SOURCE: The Chemours Company Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/13/2024 04:30 PM/DISC: 12/13/2024 04:30 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241213987089/en
Conservative Party of B.C. Leader John Rustad faces a test after 13 members of his caucus have asked him to essentially discipline Conservative MLA Elenore Sturko for comments that she made about a former Vancouver Police Board member. The signed letter published by radio host Jas Johal on X Thursday (Dec. 5) calls on Rustad to "invite" Sturko to "offer" Comfort Sakoma-Fadugba a written apology after Sturko had criticized her, following Sakoma-Fadugba's controversial remarks about the nature of Canadian society. Sakoma-Fadugba left her position Nov. 22 after several social media posts linked to her became public. Screenshots of the Instagram stories linked to Sakoma-Fadugba show Reddit posts lamenting the loss of Christian values in the face of immigration and criticized "woke culture" as well gender transitions. The alleged statements cost Sakoma-Fadugba her job on the police board and drew criticism from various corners of the political spectrum, including Sturko, a former RCMP officer and member of the LGBTQ2S+ community. “When we have statements being made that erode the public’s trust, or their comfort with their police service, it makes it that much harder on the front-line officers," Sturko told the CBC in November. But this statement did not sit well with her 13 colleagues, calling on Rustad to ask Sturko for the apology "and to encourage the Vancouver Police Board to advance conciliatory discussions with (Sakoma-Fadugba)." But that is not their only demand. "If Ms. Sturko declines your invitation, we ask that you offer this apology and encouragement on behalf of the Conservative caucus," they write. This double-demand appears to put Rustad in a double-bind. He either follows the demands from his part of his caucus ostensibly aimed at one of their own or he undermines the position of Sturko by issuing an apology on her behalf. "The way he responds will tell us something about where his own loyalties lie," UBC political scientist Stewart Prest said. "We do know that he is quite supportive of articulations of these kinds of more critical views of modernity ... so it may be that he has a certain amount of sympathy with the letter writers and his response will tell us whether that's the case. At the same time, a leader has another responsibility to the larger caucus as well. It may be that there are other members of the caucus who feel (Sturko) was quite correct in offering that assessment, and then has nothing to apologize for." Found within the letter is also a larger expression of sympathy for Sakoma-Fadugba's statements and a request to Rustad to give those views room by reminding him of what the signatories consider Rustad's own views to be. "The posts express views many Conservatives (including Conservative MLAs and staff) hold in support for parental rights, religious faith, and the pursuit of shared Canadian values," it reads. "Under your leadership, the Conservative Party of BC has consistently denounced 'cancel culture' and stood for the Charter rights British Columbians enjoy to free expression and freedom of religion," it reads. "The very first question you raised in the (legislature) as leader was in defence of parental rights." “Will the minister admit this SOGI 123 has been divisive and an assault on parents’ rights and a distraction to student education?” Rustad asked on Oct. 3, 2023. That question drew a rebuke from Premier David Eby, who called the question "outrageous" in accusing Rustad of leveraging children for culture-war purposes. “Shame on him," Eby said. "Choose another question." Prest called the letter a "deliberately provocative approach" that speaks to the ideological divisions within the party now for everyone to see. "It's putting right out in the open something we knew was going to be part of this, this challenging political coalition bringing together more populist-style conservatives with more, if you like, centrist or politically moderate types such (Sturko)." None of the 13 signatories once sat with Sturko when she was part of BC United and all were elected on Oct. 13 as first time Conservative candidates. Of note, is also the geographical representation of the MLAs. Eleven signatories represent ridings outside of Metro Vancouver and Greater Victoria including areas in the Fraser Valley and the Okanagan. Three signatories – Dallas Brodie (Vancouver-Quilchena), Brent Chapman (Surrey-South) and Anna Kindy (North Island) – have also found their names in the news over comments that they had made before or during the election campaign, with Chapman being perhaps the most widely reported one following his comments about Palestinian children made in 2015. "I would suggest that we are seeing to emerge, perhaps the makings of which you could almost call a Freedom Caucus in the (Conservative Party of B.C.), the sense that there's a group within a group that looks at the world quite differently than other members of that caucus," Prest said. This is not the first time that Sturko has been the object of criticism from within the Conservative Party of B.C. While still with B.C. United, Conservative candidate Paul Ratchford had called her a "woke, lesbian, social justice warrior." At the same time, Sturko had also been critical of the Conservatives, while still with B.C. United. In early October 2023, Sturko called on Rustad to apologize after appearing to draw a comparison with harms caused by residential schools and parental concerns about SOGI 123. Rustad denied making such a comparison. Sturko also called on Rustad to apologize after he had referred to being LGBTQ2S+ as a "lifestyle" in a media interview. When asked to comment on the letter from her colleagues, Sturko said deferred to Rustad. "This letter was addressed to John. I'm going to allow him the opportunity to speak to it at this time." Black Press Media has reached out to the Conservative Party of B.C., including Rustad's spokesperson and Rustad himself for comment.
As takes over pop culture with its theatrical release, the wonderful world of Oz has long been in 's heart. We've seen Ari's emotional reactions during the film's press tour over the past few weeks (holding space with the lyrics of "Defying Gravity," etc.), and the star has continued her streak on social media. In a never-before-seen clip, the R.E.M. Beauty founder starts crying as she wraps her final scene in Glinda's iconic bubble. "The attachment I felt to my wand and my bubble was comically overwhelming. (Please feel free to laugh)! Many, many long, beautiful days were spent here, in the sunshine, in the freezing rain and wind," Ariana wrote in her lengthy caption accompanying the video, which included an off-camera cameo from 's director Jon M. Chu. In the video, Ari laughs through tears as she reflects on moments in Glinda's bubble, from her last line to the first time she wore the Good Witch's signature bubblegum pink ballgown. "I'm very emotional because we're done with my bubble. I don't want to get out," she said through tears before adding, "I need to call my therapist. I really do." The hitmaker also explained that Glinda's props "hold so much" emotion for herself and the character in the post's caption. "Her bubble was a home away from home. A protective shell and a quiet, safe place for all of her little secrets and truths. Her wand filled a void in her heart, it gave her a sense of purpose, strength, and magic, even if that magic was somewhat in her head," she added in her caption, which she joked "sounds like a eulogy." As for her personal connection to the beloved Broadway character, Ari got candid during a November 9 screening of the film. After revealing that she loved Glinda because of her comedic timing, high notes, and pink-filled wardrobe, Ari admitted that their similarities are rooted in "harder" emotions. "I think life kind of prepared me in the strangest of ways to give myself to this role," she said, via . "There's a very specific thing that happens to Glinda that is really strange, and I've seen a fair amount of loss and grief and tragedy. I've been close to it, and I've had to be in a similar position to Glinda where...the Ozians look to her for hope." She continued, "I think she's trying her very best to provide that strength and that goodness for others when at the same time, she is needing that, too...our lives are strange adjacent in that way." Turns out there were tears left for her to cry—but at least it's because she was changed for good.
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