7xm asia login philippines Texans WR Nico Collins says he was fined for tossing TD ball to kidTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republicans made claims about illegal voting by noncitizens a centerpiece of their 2024 campaign messaging and plan to push legislation in the new Congress requiring voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship. Yet there's one place with a GOP supermajority where linking voting to citizenship appears to be a nonstarter: Kansas. That's because the state has been there, done that, and all but a few Republicans would prefer not to go there again. Kansas imposed a proof-of-citizenship requirement over a decade ago that grew into one of the biggest political fiascos in the state in recent memory. The law, passed by the state Legislature in 2011 and implemented two years later, ended up blocking the voter registrations of more than 31,000 U.S. citizens who were otherwise eligible to vote. That was 12% of everyone seeking to register in Kansas for the first time. Federal courts ultimately declared the law an unconstitutional burden on voting rights, and it hasn't been enforced since 2018. Kansas provides a cautionary tale about how pursuing an election concern that in fact is extremely rare risks disenfranchising a far greater number of people who are legally entitled to vote. The state’s top elections official, Secretary of State Scott Schwab, championed the idea as a legislator and now says states and the federal government shouldn't touch it. “Kansas did that 10 years ago,” said Schwab, a Republican. “It didn’t work out so well.” Steven Fish, a 45-year-old warehouse worker in eastern Kansas, said he understands the motivation behind the law. In his thinking, the state was like a store owner who fears getting robbed and installs locks. But in 2014, after the birth of his now 11-year-old son inspired him to be “a little more responsible” and follow politics, he didn’t have an acceptable copy of his birth certificate to get registered to vote in Kansas. “The locks didn’t work,” said Fish, one of nine Kansas residents who sued the state over the law. “You caught a bunch of people who didn’t do anything wrong.” Kansas' experience appeared to receive little if any attention outside the state as Republicans elsewhere pursued proof-of-citizenship requirements this year. Arizona enacted a requirement this year, applying it to voting for state and local elections but not for Congress or president. The Republican-led U.S. House passed a proof-of-citizenship requirement in the summer and plans to bring back similar legislation after the GOP won control of the Senate in November. In Ohio, the Republican secretary of state revised the form that poll workers use for voter eligibility challenges to require those not born in the U.S. to show naturalization papers to cast a regular ballot. A federal judge declined to block the practice days before the election. Also, sizable majorities of voters in Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina and the presidential swing states of North Carolina and Wisconsin were inspired to amend their state constitutions' provisions on voting even though the changes were only symbolic. Provisions that previously declared that all U.S. citizens could vote now say that only U.S. citizens can vote — a meaningless distinction with no practical effect on who is eligible. To be clear, voters already must attest to being U.S. citizens when they register to vote and noncitizens can face fines, prison and deportation if they lie and are caught. “There is nothing unconstitutional about ensuring that only American citizens can vote in American elections,” U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, of Texas, the leading sponsor of the congressional proposal, said in an email statement to The Associated Press. After Kansas residents challenged their state's law, both a federal judge and federal appeals court concluded that it violated a law limiting states to collecting only the minimum information needed to determine whether someone is eligible to vote. That's an issue Congress could resolve. The courts ruled that with “scant” evidence of an actual problem, Kansas couldn't justify a law that kept hundreds of eligible citizens from registering for every noncitizen who was improperly registered. A federal judge concluded that the state’s evidence showed that only 39 noncitizens had registered to vote from 1999 through 2012 — an average of just three a year. In 2013, then-Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, a Republican who had built a national reputation advocating tough immigration laws, described the possibility of voting by immigrants living in the U.S. illegally as a serious threat. He was elected attorney general in 2022 and still strongly backs the idea, arguing that federal court rulings in the Kansas case “almost certainly got it wrong.” Kobach also said a key issue in the legal challenge — people being unable to fix problems with their registrations within a 90-day window — has probably been solved. “The technological challenge of how quickly can you verify someone’s citizenship is getting easier,” Kobach said. “As time goes on, it will get even easier.” The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the Kansas case in 2020. But in August, it split 5-4 in allowing Arizona to continue enforcing its law for voting in state and local elections while a legal challenge goes forward. Seeing the possibility of a different Supreme Court decision in the future, U.S. Rep.-elect Derek Schmidt says states and Congress should pursue proof-of-citizenship requirements. Schmidt was the Kansas attorney general when his state's law was challenged. "If the same matter arose now and was litigated, the facts would be different," he said in an interview. But voting rights advocates dismiss the idea that a legal challenge would turn out differently. Mark Johnson, one of the attorneys who fought the Kansas law, said opponents now have a template for a successful court fight. “We know the people we can call," Johnson said. “We know that we’ve got the expert witnesses. We know how to try things like this.” He predicted "a flurry — a landslide — of litigation against this.” Initially, the Kansas requirement's impacts seemed to fall most heavily on politically unaffiliated and young voters. As of fall 2013, 57% of the voters blocked from registering were unaffiliated and 40% were under 30. But Fish was in his mid-30s, and six of the nine residents who sued over the Kansas law were 35 or older. Three even produced citizenship documents and still didn’t get registered, according to court documents. “There wasn’t a single one of us that was actually an illegal or had misinterpreted or misrepresented any information or had done anything wrong,” Fish said. He was supposed to produce his birth certificate when he sought to register in 2014 while renewing his Kansas driver's license at an office in a strip mall in Lawrence. A clerk wouldn't accept the copy Fish had of his birth certificate. He still doesn't know where to find the original, having been born on an Air Force base in Illinois that closed in the 1990s. Several of the people joining Fish in the lawsuit were veterans, all born in the U.S., and Fish said he was stunned that they could be prevented from registering. Liz Azore, a senior adviser to the nonpartisan Voting Rights Lab, said millions of Americans haven't traveled outside the U.S. and don't have passports that might act as proof of citizenship, or don't have ready access to their birth certificates. She and other voting rights advocates are skeptical that there are administrative fixes that will make a proof-of-citizenship law run more smoothly today than it did in Kansas a decade ago. “It’s going to cover a lot of people from all walks of life,” Avore said. “It’s going to be disenfranchising large swaths of the country.” Associated Press writer Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report.

PARIS (AP) — Riot police played their part as Le Havre won 2-0 at Nantes on Sunday in a French league match interrupted and then restarted during second-half stoppage time after disgruntled home fans tried to get on the field. The police formed a line in front of one of the stands, which houses the main ultras group, called Brigade Loire. Referee Jérôme Brisard then led the players off, with only about three minutes remaining in stoppage time. After the Brigade Loire had left the Stade de La Beaujoire, the match was deemed safe to resume 35 minutes later, and the final three minutes were played in a somber atmosphere. The defeat dropped eight-time French champion Nantes into 16th place in the 18-team league. “Honestly we weren't expecting that. It's rare to experience this kind of thing, but you can understand things from a fan's point of view," Nantes striker Ignatius Ganago told match broadcaster DAZN. "We are not getting results. But it's also difficult for us, the players.” After Josué Casimir had scored in the third minute for Le Havre, the match was halted for a few minutes when tennis balls and toilet paper were thrown onto the pitch by some home fans, with Nantes players helping to clear the debris on the field. Forward Steve Ngoura doubled the lead in the 74th for Le Havre, which climbed above Rennes into 14th. In Sunday's late game, Nice rallied to beat midtable Strasbourg 2-1 and move up to fifth place. Striker Dilane Bakwa put the Alsace-based side ahead in the 20th, before defender Melvin Bard equalized in the 54th from midfielder Sofiane Diop's pass behind the defense. Diop's pass forced an own-goal from Abakar Sylla in the 62nd when trying to pass back to goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic. Nice is two points behind fourth-place Lille after 12 rounds. Zhegrova shines for Lille Edon Zhegrova continued his fine form with the only goal as Lille beat Rennes 1-0 to stay one point behind Marseille in third. The Kosovo winger started and finished the move in the 45th minute with one of his trademark darting runs from the right flank. Zhegrova combined with Rémy Cabella and striker Jonathan David before firing past veteran goalkeeper Steve Mandanda with his left foot. It was his fourth league goal of the season and he is well set to beat his mark of six from the last campaign. The 25-year-old Zhegrova made similar attacking runs when Lille drew 1-1 with Juventus in the Champions League three weeks ago, providing a superb assist for David's goal. He thought he had set David up for a goal against Rennes in the 57th, after again breaking free down the right, but the effort was ruled out for a narrow offside. Zhegrova clutched his left groin near the end and was given an ovation by the home fans when he went off. Rennes is in 15th place. That really socks Struggling Rennes recently appointed Jorge Sampaoli as coach after firing Julien Stéphan. Sampaoli has become famed within soccer for his short temper. The 64-year-old Argentine was irate when Rennes defener Mikayil Faye had to change his socks before coming on as a replacement for the injured Alidu Seidu early in the first half. Faye did not have the correct socks on and, with Sampaoli shouting at him, had to sit down on the side of the pitch and slip the right ones on. Also Sunday, midfielder Hamed Traorè scored three minutes into stoppage time as seventh-place Auxerre won 1-0 against lowly Angers. PSG beat Toulouse 3-0 on Friday and Marseille won 3-1 at Lens on Saturday. ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer Jerome Pugmire, The Associated Press

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President Jimmy Carter may have only had one term in the White House, but he remained a familiar figure on the world stage long after clearing his desk at the Oval Office. Despite a resounding defeat at the hands of Ronald Reagan in 1980, the Democrat forged a new path promoting causes such as electoral probity abroad, social justice and drives to rid the world of medical conditions. His first foreign visit as president was to the UK where then prime minister James Callaghan, as well as the usual visits in London, took his guest to the North East with a visit to Newcastle, Sunderland and Washington – the village bearing the name of the first ever president. Mr Carter delighted crowds in the North East by saying “Howay the lads” during a speech to the assembled throng. He also received a miner’s lamp from 12-year-old Ian McEree in Washington. The 39th US president also carried out more traditional presidential duties, including meetings with western European leaders during his time in London while the Cold War was still ongoing. The practising Baptist continued his globetrotting ways after leaving power, even without Air Force One as his vehicle. He was also part of the Elders, a group of experienced statesmen and women drawn from all corners of the world.The Air Force has given industry the green light to start working on and submitting proposals for a potential five-year, $750 million professional services contract vehicle focused on U.S. Central Command’s headquarters. Bids for the multiple-award contract known by the acronym of CHIPS are due no later than 10 a.m. Eastern time on Jan. 9. Questions must be submitted no later than 10 a.m. Eastern time on Dec. 20, the Air Force said in a . Air Force officials plan to award approximately 20 positions on the vehicle, which is reserved for companies with the service-disabled veteran-owned and 8(a) distinctions. The service branch is also eyeing an even split of awards between both groups. Offerors must declare to which small business designation they are proposing, in this case either SDVOSB or 8(a). Work under the CENTCOM Headquarters IDIQ will primarily take place at the location indicated, or in this case at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida. CENTCOM’s area of responsibility includes 21 countries that are mostly in the Middle East. The contract covers support for CENTCOM directorates, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Joint Staff and other Defense Department components. Awardees will compete for task orders to carry out program management services, management and program analysis, assessment, monitoring, and evaluation, information technology, data science, logistics management, operational contract support, vendor threat mitigation, acquisition management, and intelligence services. CHIPS is a brand new requirement with no incumbent. The period of performance is one initial base year with up to four individual option years.

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Brandon Ingram splits with ExcelChina showcased its latest technological achievement in the transportation sector, the CR450 prototype, a high-speed bullet train that has set a new world record for speed. According to the China State Railway Group Co (China Railway), the train reached a remarkable speed of 450 km/h during its test runs, claiming the title of the world's fastest high-speed train. The CR450 prototype is designed to further revolutionise the travel landscape in China, a country already known for its extensive high-speed rail network. The new train model is expected to drastically shorten travel times between major cities, enhancing both domestic and international connectivity. This leap in rail technology promises not only greater convenience but also improved efficiency for millions of passengers across the country. In addition to speeding up travel, the CR450 prototype is expected to have a positive impact on economic development, with faster trains facilitating more efficient movement of people and goods across long distances. China’s CR450 prototype has been hailed as the world’s fastest high-speed bullet train, setting new benchmarks in speed and technology. Here are the key features that make the CR450 stand out: #CRnews The CR450 EMU train prototype was unveiled in Beijing on December 29. 🎉 It will greatly enhance China’s railway science and technology innovation, self-reliance, and strength, further consolidating and boosting China’s global leadership in HSR technology. #ChinaRailway pic.twitter.com/p0Ip0cTN4r ALSO READ: Air Canada Flight Catches Fire During Touchdown At Halifax Airport, Hours After Deadly South Korea Plane Crash | Watch Top Speed Of 450 km/h The CR450 prototype is capable of reaching a maximum speed of 450 km/h (279 mph), making it the fastest high-speed train in the world. This unprecedented speed will significantly reduce travel time between major cities. China State Railway Group announced on Sunday that its CR450 high-speed train prototype can reach speeds of up to 450 km/h (280 mph), with a commercial operating speed of 400 km/h. The unveiling of the prototype marks a significant ‘breakthrough’ in the CR450 project, highlighting a leap in China's railway technology and advancing its goal of technological self-reliance. ALSO READ: Delhi Election 2025: Row Over Memorial For Manmohan Singh Escalates Amid Attempts To Lure Sikh Voters Sleek, Aerodynamic Design The CR450 boasts a streamlined, modern design built for high-speed travel. The aerodynamic exterior reduces air resistance, enabling the train to reach and maintain record-breaking speeds with greater energy efficiency. The CR450 train is 22 per cent more energy-efficient, 10 per cent lighter, and has 2 decibels less cabin noise. It also offers a 4 per cent increase in passenger service space and features upgraded intelligent systems, including advanced train control, driver interaction, safety monitoring, and improved passenger services. High Acceleration and Deceleration The CR450 is capable of quick acceleration and deceleration, enabling it to smoothly start and stop within a short distance. This enhances the overall travel experience while ensuring safety during rapid speed changes. Next-Generation Rail Infrastructure The CR450 prototype is designed to run on specialised tracks that can withstand the high speeds and forces generated by the train, allowing for safe and reliable operation at 450 km/h.

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In Pictures: Jimmy Carter continued campaigning long after leaving powerWASHINGTON — The FBI should have done more to gather intelligence before the Capitol riot, according to a watchdog report Thursday that also said no undercover FBI employees were on the scene on Jan. 6, 2021, and that none of the bureau's informants was authorized to participate. The report from the Justice Department inspector general's office knocks down a fringe conspiracy theory advanced by some Republicans in Congress that the FBI played a role in instigating the events that day, when rioters determined to overturn Republican Donald Trump's 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden stormed the building in a violent clash with police. The review, released nearly four years after a dark chapter in history that shook the bedrock of American democracy, was narrow in scope, but aimed to shed light on gnawing questions that have dominated public discourse, including whether major intelligence failures preceded the riot and whether the FBI in some way provoked the violence. Rioters loyal to Donald Trump gather Jan. 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. The report offers a mixed assessment of the FBI's performance in the run-up to the riot, crediting the bureau for preparing for the possibility of violence and for trying to identify known "domestic terrorism subjects" who planned to come to Washington that day. But it said the FBI, in an action the now-deputy director described as a "basic step that was missed," failed to canvass informants across all 56 of its field offices for any relevant intelligence. That was a step, the report concluded, "that could have helped the FBI and its law enforcement partners with their preparations in advance of January 6." The report found 26 FBI informants were in Washington for election-related protests on Jan. 6, including three who were tasked with traveling to the city to report on others who were potentially planning to attend the day's events. While four informants entered the Capitol, none were authorized to do so by the bureau or to break the law, the report said. Rioters storm the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. Many of the 26 informants provided the FBI with information before the riot, but it "was no more specific than, and was consistent with, other sources of information" that the FBI acquired. The FBI said in a letter responding to the report that it accepts the inspection general's recommendation "regarding potential process improvements for future events." The lengthy review was launched days after the riot as the FBI faced questions over whether it had missed warning signs or adequately disseminated intelligence it received, including a Jan. 5, 2021, bulletin prepared by the FBI's Norfolk, Virginia, field office that warned of the potential for "war" at the Capitol. The inspector general found the information in that bulletin was broadly shared. FBI Director Chris Wray, who announced this week his plans to resign at the end of Biden's term in January, defended his agency's handing of the intelligence report. He told lawmakers in 2021 that the report was disseminated though the joint terrorism task force, discussed at a command post in Washington and posted on an internet portal available to other law enforcement agencies. "We did communicate that information in a timely fashion to the Capitol Police and (Metropolitan Police Department) in not one, not two, but three different ways," Wray said at the time. FBI Director Christopher Wray speaks March 11 during a hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington. Separately, the report said the FBI's New Orleans field office was told by a source between November 2020 and early January 2021 that protesters were planning to station a "quick reaction force" in northern Virginia "to be armed and prepared to respond to violence that day in DC, if necessary." That information was shared with the FBI's Washington Field Office, members of intelligence agencies and some federal law enforcement agencies the day before the riot, the inspector general found. But there was no indication the FBI told northern Virginia police about the information, the report said. An FBI official told the inspector general there was "nothing actionable or immediately concerning about it." A cache of weapons at a Virginia hotel as part of a "quick reaction force" was a central piece of the Justice Department's seditious conspiracy case against Oath Keeper leader Stewart Rhodes and other members of the far-right extremist group. Trump supporters, including Douglas Jensen, center, confront U.S. Capitol Police on Jan. 6, 2021, in the hallway outside of the Senate chamber at the Capitol in Washington. The conspiracy theory that federal law enforcement officers entrapped members of the mob has been spread in conservative circles, including by some Republican lawmakers. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., recently suggested on a podcast that agents pretending to be Trump supporters were responsible for instigating the violence. Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who withdrew as Trump's pick as attorney general amid scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations, sent a letter to Wray in 2021 asking how many undercover agents or informants were at the Capitol on Jan. 6 and if they were "merely passive informants or active instigators." Wray said the "notion that somehow the violence at the Capitol on January 6 was part of some operation orchestrated by FBI sources and agents is ludicrous." Rioters scale a wall at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) Supporters loyal to then-President Donald Trump attend a rally on the Ellipse near the White House on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Trump supporters participate in a rally in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Trump supporters participate in a rally Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Then-President Donald Trump gestures as he arrives to speak at a rally in Washington, on Jan. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) People listen as then-President Donald Trump speaks during a rally Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Supporters of then-President Donald Trump try to break through a police barrier at the Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) A supporter of then-President Donald Trump is injured during clashes with police at the U.S. Capitol, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) A rioter pours water on herself at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) A Trump supporter holds a Bible as he gathers with others outside the Capitol, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) A demonstrator supporting then-President Donald Trump, is sprayed by police, Jan. 6, 2021, during a day of rioting at the Capitol.(AP Photo/John Minchillo) Rioters try to enter the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) U.S. Capitol Police try to hold back rioters outside the east doors to the House side of the U.S. Capitol, Jan 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Rioters gather outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Jan 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Protesters gather outside the U.S. Capitol, Jan 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Jacob Anthony Chansley, center, with other insurrectionists who supported then-President Donald Trump, are confronted by U.S. Capitol Police in the hallway outside of the Senate chamber in the Capitol, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. Chansley, was among the first group of insurrectionists who entered the hallway outside the Senate chamber. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) U.S. Capitol Police hold rioters at gun-point near the House Chamber inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Lawmakers evacuate the floor as rioters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Police with guns drawn watch as rioters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Congressmen shelter in the House gallery as rioters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Members of Congress wear emergency gas masks as they are evacuated from the House gallery as rioters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) The House gallery is empty after it was evacuated as rioters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., cleans up debris and personal belongings strewn across the floor of the Rotunda in the early morning hours of Jan. 7, 2021, after rioters stormed the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Members of the DC National Guard surround the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., read the final certification of Electoral College votes cast in November's presidential election during a joint session of Congress after working through the night, at the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 7, 2021. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, Pool) A flag hangs between broken windows after then-President Donald Trump supporters tried to break through police barriers outside the U.S. Capitol, Jan 6, 2021. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) A flag that reads "Treason" is visible on the ground in the early morning hours of Jan. 7, 2021, after rioters stormed the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) An ATF police officer cleans up debris and personal belongings strewn across the floor of the Rotunda in the early morning hours of Jan. 7, 2021, after rioters stormed the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Fencing is placed around the exterior of the Capitol grounds, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021 in Washington. The House and Senate certified the Democrat's electoral college win early Thursday after a violent throng of pro-Trump rioters spent hours Wednesday running rampant through the Capitol. A woman was fatally shot, windows were bashed and the mob forced shaken lawmakers and aides to flee the building, shielded by Capitol Police. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

Shopping malls were once the center of the universe for suburban teens, until the internet made it easier to shop and socialize from right at home. But Gen Z is rejecting the online obsessions of Gen X and millennials by returning to the once-forsaken halls of shopping malls. It’s part of... ... a general trend of shopping in person, rather than online, which has also contributed to the revival of . The mall revival is a different beast, though. Gen Z shoppers want items quicker, to spend time with their friends, and to share their shopping adventures on social media. Nearly 63% of Gen Zers plan to shop at physical stores this holiday season, , while only ~50% plan to use retailers’ apps and websites. Take mall staple Abercrombie & Fitch: 60% of sales for its millennial-skewing mainline brand come digitally, but only 30% of sales for its Gen Z-friendly Hollister label are online. Malls are courting these shoppers with more experiential offerings (mini golf, Instagram photo ops, etc.), plus hotter retailers that attract more attention than dying anchor stores. Too online as it is Gen Z was raised on the internet, even before covid killed a lot of in-person bonding experiences. Roberta Katz, a Stanford University researcher who studies Gen Z, they want to embrace the real world’s advantages. They have also become jaded by the digital retailers that supposedly “killed” malls the last time around. Thirty-nine percent of Gen Z shoppers are “tired of hearing about Amazon,” data from research firm Mintel 60% of Gen Z shoppers believe Amazon is “too powerful.” Nearly 50% of Gen Z shoppers try to actively avoid Amazon, compared to 20% of boomers and 40% of millennials. After growing up with the toothless smile on Amazon boxes and the cold sterility of Zoom classrooms, Gen Z seems happy to touch the proverbial grass.In the hope of avoid long lines and frustrated people, I applied to renew my passport in October. I did this by mail. This felt "early" as my passport was expiring Dec. 24. Little did I know a week-long Canada Post strike would cause my passport to be stuck in limbo. All this would be fine, as I don’t have any vacations or travel coming up, but making the situation much more complicated is the fact that I am moving on Dec. 30. Not far albeit, but still a move nonetheless. I won’t have access to my current address, if the passport arrives after Dec. 30. I’ve been spending the past weeks since Oct. 24 crossing my fingers that it would miraculously arrive at my Vancouver house. On Nov. 13, the payment of $160 came out of my account from "SC Passport Mississauga, Ontario," but there has been no sign of it. Canada Post workers went on a nationwide strike on Nov. 15 and it’s still ongoing with no end in sight. I decided to go online and check the status. Here I was just told it was "in progress" and felt confused once again as to what to do next. My loving parents called me daily and each day asked if I had any sign of the missing passport. After reading a Toronto Star article, my parents suggested I call the passport program at 1-819-997-8338. This way I could try and find out if mine had been stuck with Canada Post, or is one of the 185,000 passports being held. When I called, I was notified there were 255 callers ahead of me. After realizing this waiting game was not going to work, I decided to take matters into my own hands. Here’s hoping my journey to finding my lost passport will help you if you’re in a similar situation. Thankfully, I live in Vancouver and could walk to the Vancouver Service Canada Centre building on West Hastings Street to Passport Services. When I walked into the atrium at 10 a.m., my slight moment of relief not seeing people lined up outside was quickly squashed. The entire downstairs atrium was filled with people waiting in line. So I took one small sigh and joined them. The Passport Services opens at 8:30 a.m., so getting there earlier might have helped. After a few minutes, I overheard someone explaining how this line was for passport renewal and I realized, only thanks to them, I needed to speak with someone at the front of the line. They alerted me that I needed to wait inside and was handed a red ticket with the handwritten number 140 on it. Over the next hour, I watched as the staff tried to help people and the frustration grew on people’s faces. Finally, my number was called and I felt like I won a prize. A woman spoke to everyone in line explaining how if you are not travelling in the next 10 business days, you need to come back and they will not issue a passport until then. I explained my situation and she told me I needed to come back and "wait out the strike." Trying to explain again that it was not about travel, the issue was my address, she told me to have my file number and my date of birth. One of these I had, my date of birth, but I was never given a file number because I mailed my passport through Canada Post. As I waited in line, I remembered that I had checked online for the status of my passport back in November. Checking my emails I found it and luckily I had my file number in the email. Many other people tried to say they just wanted their passports now, but without fail, they were turned away if they could not prove their travels. People had to print off their flights or receipts for upcoming trips. So don’t arrive empty-handed and print this off before. You can check wait times online for the office, but this time only reflects how long it takes once you’re inside — not the time you wait outside in the atrium. Finally, it was my turn to explain my situation to one of the Passport Service officers. She confirmed I could not get a new passport, but suggested I change my address so if and when the strike is over my passport would be sent to my new Vancouver address. I was then handed another number — U005 — and told once again to sit and wait. There were a few gaps in communication that I and others figured out ourselves by chatting. I understand staff are doing their best, but a lot of people were coming in and backlogging the system because they just wanted a passport the same day. While waiting, I overheard a couple that wanted a new passport before Dec. 30 due to travel, but the officer said she would not accept this as the passports don’t expire for another year and could not complete their request. They waited two hours to speak with the officer. Thankfully, I did not leave and it took another 45 minutes until I spoke to the next officer. This time, I explained the situation from the start, asking for any help in changing my address. She asked me a series of questions then stepped away and came back a few minutes later. My passport had not been sent to Canada Post, it is completed and is at a Passport Canada location ready to be sent out. She asked me to write my scenario down on a blank piece of paper, just as I told her. At the end she explained how she is going to put a request to have my passport sent to me immediately using a courier service, such as UPS. That way it would arrive at my current address before I move, around Dec. 20. I was so appreciative for her help and she told me if I don’t hear from her in two business days that means it’s been approved to be priority sent. Here’s hoping my phone does not ring and that they don’t call me. Otherwise, I am not sure what’s next and will likely be back in line waiting. I’ve heard of people’s weddings being impacted, not being able to see family members or people’s jobs being impacted by not having their passports due to the strike. After three hours, I have a solution and I appreciate their help very much. I can only imagine how exhausted the staff are constantly dealing with frustrated people who are all being affected in different ways. [email protected] X /AlannaKellyNews

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistani police arrested thousands of Imran Khan supporters ahead of a rally in the capital to demand the ex-premier’s release from prison, a security officer said Sunday. Khan has been behind bars for more than a year and has over 150 criminal cases against him. But he remains popular and his political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf or PTI, says the cases are politically motivated. Shahid Nawaz, a security officer in eastern Punjab province, said police have arrested more than 4,000 Khan supporters. They include five parliamentarians. Pakistan has sealed off Islamabad with shipping containers and shut down major roads and highways connecting the city with PTI strongholds in Punjab and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. Tit-for-tat teargas shelling between the police and the PTI was reported on the highway bordering Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Earlier on Sunday, Pakistan suspended mobile and internet services “in areas with security concerns.” The government and Interior Ministry posted the announcement on the social media platform X, which is banned in Pakistan. They did not specify the areas, nor did they say how long the suspension would be in place. “Internet and mobile services will continue to operate as usual in the rest of the country,” the posts said. Meanwhile, telecom company Nayatel sent out emails offering customers “a reliable landline service” as a workaround in the areas suffering suspended cellphone service. Khan's supporters rely heavily on social media to demand his release and use messaging platforms like WhatsApp to share information, including details of events. PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram said Khan's wife Bushra Bibi was traveling to Islamabad in a convoy led by the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur. “She cannot leave the party workers on their own,” said Akram. There was a festive mood in Peshawar, with PTI members dancing, drumming and holding up pictures of Khan as cars set off for Islamabad. The government is imposing social media platform bans and targeting VPN services , according to internet advocacy group Netblocks. On Sunday, the group said live metrics showed problems with WhatsApp that were affecting media sharing on the app. The U.S. Embassy issued a security alert for Americans in the capital, encouraging them to avoid large gatherings and warning that even “peaceful gatherings can turn violent.” Last month, authorities suspended the cellphone service in Islamabad and Rawalpindi to thwart a pro-Khan rally. The shutdown disrupted communications and affected everyday services such as banking, ride-hailing and food delivery. The latest crackdown comes on the eve of a visit by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko . Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said authorities have sealed off Islamabad's Red Zone, which houses key government buildings and is the destination for Khan's supporters. “Anyone reaching it will be arrested,” Naqvi told a press conference. He said the security measures were in place to protect residents and property, blaming the PTI for inconveniencing people and businesses. He added that protesters were planning to take the same route as the Belarusian delegation, but that the government had headed off this scenario. Naqvi denied cellphone services were suspended and said only mobile data was affected. Associated Press writers Riaz Khan in Peshawar and Asim Tanveer in Multan contributed to this report.Great Osobor scored 12 points, grabbed six rebounds and had three assists in 18 minutes of playing time as Washington wrapped up nonconference action with a 90-53 rout of NJIT on Sunday afternoon in Seattle. Zoom Diallo came off the bench to contribute 12 points and a game-high five assists for the Huskies (9-4), and Wilhelm Breidenbach, who missed Monday's 79-70 upset loss to Seattle U., added 10 points and five rebounds. Sebastian Robinson led the Highlanders (2-12) with 16 points, Tim Moore Jr. scored 14 and Ari Fulton added 11. NJIT, which suffered its third consecutive defeat and dropped to 0-9 on the road, played without leading scorer Tariq Francis (18.6 ppg) because of an ankle injury. The Huskies shot 34 of 61 from the field (55.7 percent) and were 10 of 24 from 3-point range. NJIT was 19 of 51 (37.3 percent) and just 3 of 17 from distance. Washington forced 13 turnovers while committing just five, leading to a 17-4 edge in points off miscues. The Huskies also had sizable advantages in points off the bench (47-4), in the paint (42-24) and in fastbreak scoring (17-0). The Huskies led 46-26 at the half as Osobor, Breidenbach and Mekhi Mason each scored seven points. Osobor scored the game's first five points and Mason made a 3-pointer to give the Huskies an 8-2 lead. A jumper by Mason extended the lead to 26-16 with 8:30 left in the first half. The Huskies continued to pull away, with Jase Butler capping an 8-0 run with a 3-pointer to make it 42-22 with 2:29 remaining before the intermission. A 9-0 run gave Washington its first 30-point lead of the day at 60-30 with 15:24 still to play. The Huskies led by as many as 40 on Luis Kortright's fastbreak layup at the 7:09 mark. Mason, Kortright, Christian King and KC Ibekwe all scored nine points for Washington. Washington resumes Big Ten Conference play Thursday when Maryland makes a trip to the West Coast. The Highlanders have one more nonconference game before opening America East play Jan. 9. --Field Level Media

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