Homeland Security shares new details of mysterious drone flights over New Jersey, lawmaker says A New Jersey lawmaker from part of the state where several mysterious drones have been spotted in recent week says the devices appear to avoid detection by traditional methods. Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia was among state officials who met Wednesday with representatives from the Department of Homeland Security. She says lawmakers were told the drones have dodged detection by helicopters and radio. Fantasia says DHS described the devices as up to 6 feet in diameter and sometimes traveling with their lights off. The Morris County Republican made the comments in a post on X shortly after she and several other state and local lawmakers met with state police and Homeland Security officials. Donald Trump will ring the New York Stock Exchange bell as he's named Time's Person of the Year NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is expected to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange for the first time and be named Time magazine's Person of the Year. Thursday's events will be a notable moment of twin recognitions for Trump, a born-and-bred New Yorker who has long seen praise from the business world and media as a sign of success. Four people with knowledge of his plans told The Associated Press that Trump was expected to be on Wall Street on Thursday to mark the ceremonial start of the day's trading, while a person familiar with the selection confirmed that Trump had been selected as Time's Person of the Year. Rape allegation against Jay-Z won’t impact NFL's relationship with music mogul, Goodell says IRVING, Texas (AP) — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says a rape allegation against rapper Jay-Z won’t impact the NFL's relationship with the music mogul. Jay-Z's company Roc Nation has produced some of the NFL’s entertainment presentations including the Super Bowl halftime show. A woman who previously sued Sean “Diddy” Combs alleging she was raped at an awards show after-party in 2000 amended the lawsuit Sunday to include an allegation that Jay-Z was also at the party and participated in the sexual assault. Jay-Z says the rape allegation made against him is part of an extortion attempt. The NFL teamed up with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation in 2019 for events and social activism. The league and the entertainment company extended their partnership a few months ago. Ohio politician proposes make flag planting a felony after fight in Michigan rivalry game An Ohio politician has seen enough flag planting. Republican state Rep. Josh Williams said Wednesday on social media he's introducing a bill to make flag planting in sports a felony in the state. His proposal comes after the Nov. 30 fight at the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry football game when the Wolverines beat the Buckeyes 13-10 and then attempted to plant their flag at midfield. A fight ensued and police had to use pepper spray to disperse the players. Former Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield famously planted a flag in the middle of the field at Ohio State after the Sooners beat the Buckeyes in 2017. Gastineau confronts Favre in documentary for his 'dive' on Strahan's record-breaking sack Former New York Jets star Mark Gastineau confronted Brett Favre last year at a memorabilia show and angrily accused the Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback of deliberately going down on a record-breaking sack. The tense exchange is shown in the new ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “The New York Sack Exchange." It chronicles the Jets’ fearsome foursome defensive line of the 1980s that included Gastineau. Gastineau set an NFL record with 22 sacks in 1984, but Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan broke the mark when he sacked Favre in 2002 in a game between the Giants and Packers. Many have accused Favre of purposely taking the sack so Strahan could set the single-season record with 22 1/2. What happens next with Alex Jones' Infowars? No certainty yet after sale to The Onion is rejected Lawyers in the Alex Jones bankruptcy case are now in discussions on what could happen next after a federal judge in Texas rejected the auction sale of Jones’ Infowars to The Onion satirical news outlet. The next steps remained unclear Wednesday as the judge ordered the trustee who oversaw the auction to come up with a new plan. Judge Christopher Lopez in Houston rejected the bid late Tuesday, saying there was too much confusion about The Onion’s bid. The bankruptcy case was in the wake of the nearly $1.5 billion that courts have ordered Jones to pay for calling the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut a hoax. Sandy Hook families had backed The Onion’s bid. NFL and Nike extend their partnership with a 10-year deal, will focus on growing the sport globally IRVING, Texas (AP) — The NFL’s desire to become a global powerhouse is no secret. Nike is committed to helping the league continue expanding its worldwide reach. The league and the apparel giant announced Wednesday a 10-year partnership extension. The NFL and Nike will focus on working together to grow the game’s global reach, increase participation, develop new talent, and expand the football fan base. Nike, the world’s largest supplier of athletic shoes and apparel, has been the NFL’s exclusive provider of uniforms and sideline, practice and base layer apparel for all 32 NFL teams for 12 years. George Kresge Jr., who wowed talk show audiences as the The Amazing Kreskin, dies at age 89 NEW YORK (AP) — George Joseph Kresge Jr., otherwise known to TV watchers as the mesmerizing entertainer and mentalist The Amazing Kreskin, has died at age 89. Kreskin’s friend and former road manager, Ryan Galway, says he died Tuesday at his home in Caldwell, New Jersey. Kreskin launched his television career in the 1960s and remained popular for decades, appearing with everyone from Merv Griffin to Johnny Carson to Jimmy Fallon. Fans would welcome, if not entirely figure out, his favorite mind tricks — whether correctly guessing a playing card chosen at random, or, most famously, divining where his paycheck had been planted among the audience. He also hosted a show in the 1970s, gave live performances and wrote numerous books. Albertsons sues Kroger for failing to win approval of their proposed supermarket merger Kroger and Albertsons’ plan for the largest U.S. supermarket merger in history has crumbled. The two companies have accused each other of not doing enough to push their proposed alliance through, and Albertsons pulled out of the $24.6 billion deal on Wednesday. The bitter breakup came the day after a federal judge in Oregon and a state judge in Washington issued injunctions to block the merger, saying that combining the two grocery chains could reduce competition and harm consumers. Albertsons is now suing Kroger, seeking a $600 million termination fee, as well as billions of dollars in legal fees and lost shareholder value. Kroger says the legal claims are “baseless.” Keynote Selena Gomez spotlights prioritizing mental health during Academy Women's Luncheon LOS ANGELES (AP) — While surveying a room packed with Hollywood’s most influential figures, “Emilia Pérez” star Selena Gomez took center stage at the Academy Women’s Luncheon to spotlight a critical issue: Prioritizing mental health and supporting underserved communities often left behind in the conversation. The singer-actor has been public about her mental health struggles, revealing she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Gomez was the keynote speaker Tuesday at the event held at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures with attendees including Ariana Grande, Olivia Wilde, Amy Adams, Pamela Anderson, Rita Wilson, Ava DuVernay and Awkwafina.Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah agree to a ceasefire to end nearly 14 months of fighting (World)
Nerdy Inc. CEO Charles Cohn acquires $534,000 in stockGlobal stocks mostly cheer Nvidia results as bitcoin gainsWalmart will soon become the world's largest retailer to retract diversity, equity and inclusion policies following criticism received from conservative commentators aiming to perpetuate "anti-wokeness." Walmart announced the changes on Monday, which include the end of a five-year commitment to an equity racial center set up in 2020 following the killing of George Floyd, which will not be renewed once time runs out. Furthermore, the company will not give priority treatment to suppliers based on gender and will be pulling out of a prominent gay rights index, reported NPR. "This is the biggest win yet for our movement to end wokeness in corporate America," conservative political commentator and activist Robby Starbuck wrote on X , revealing that he had been in conversation with Walmart prior to the announcement. In June 2023, the Supreme Court delivered a long-awaited verdict in the case Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. (SFFA) v. President & Fellows of Harvard College (Harvard) in which they ended the practice of affirmative action , deeming it unconstitutional. The Supreme Court precedent has encouraged "anti-woke" activists to call out other brands and companies for their inclusive policies. Starbuck himself has repeatedly called out companies with corporate DEI policies on X (formerly Twitter). This includes companies such as Ford, Harley-Davidson, Lowe's and Tractor Supply, all of whom have rolled back DEI initiatives. The racial equality center that Walmart will not renew its commitment to was established through the years-long mandate. The company had made a $100 million commitment to "address the root causes of gaps in outcomes experienced by Black and African American people in education, health, finance and criminal justice systems." "We've been on a journey and know we aren't perfect, but every decision comes from a place of wanting to foster a sense of belonging, to open doors to opportunities for all our associates, customers and suppliers and to be a Walmart for everyone," Walmart said in a statement. Originally published by Latin Times.
DEAR RUSTY: My wife will reach her full Social Security benefit at 66.5 years of age which is just under 2 years away for her now. If she were to begin to get her monthly check now (i.e. early), would that prevent her from being eligible for the spousal benefit to receive half of what I am currently drawing? — Curious Husband DEAR CURIOUS: If your wife claims her own SS retirement benefit now (e.g., at 64.5 years), and you are already collecting your own SS benefit, then she will be automatically deemed to be filing for her spousal benefit immediately when she claims her own benefit (she does not have the option to defer claiming her spousal benefit until later). This is a change made by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, which requires all those first claiming SS to file for ALL benefits they are eligible for when they claim. What that would mean is that your wife’s benefit now, including her spousal boost from you, would be actuarially reduced by the number of months early she claimed. Her own SS retirement benefit would be permanently reduced by about 15%, and her “spousal boost” (the additional amount she would get as your spouse) would be reduced by about 19%, yielding a combined benefit which is roughly 42% of your full retirement age (FRA) SS benefit. The only way your wife can get half (50%) of your FRA benefit entitlement is by waiting until her own full retirement age (66 years and 10 months) to claim. Note, too, that your wife’s spousal benefit will be based on your FRA entitlement, so if you claimed earlier or later than your own full retirement age, her spousal benefit will still be based on your FRA entitlement. Also, your wife should be aware that anyone who claims early is subject to Social Security’s “earnings test,” which limits how much can be earned while collecting early benefits. Thus, if your wife is working, she will be restricted on how much she can earn before Social Security takes away some of her benefits. FYI, the earnings limit changes annually, but for 2025 it is $23,420 and, if that is exceeded, SS will take away $1 in benefits for every $2 over the limit. And, the earnings limit goes up a lot during the year FRA is attained, and the earnings test no longer applies once full retirement age is reached. I hope this answers your question, but if you have need additional information, please feel free to contact us directly at SSAdvisor@amacfoundation.org , or call us at (888) 750-2622. (Russell Gloor is the national Social Security advisor at the AMAC Foundation, the non-profit arm of the Association of Mature American Citizens.)
ROME (AP) — Robert Lewandowski joined Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as the only players in Champions League history with 100 or more goals. But Erling Haaland is on a faster pace than anyone by boosting his total to 46 goals at age 24 on Tuesday. Still, Haaland's brace wasn't enough for Manchester City in a 3-3 draw with Feyenoord that extended the Premier League champion's winless streak to six matches. Lewandowski’s early penalty kick started Barcelona off to a 3-0 win over previously unbeaten Brest to move into second place in the new single-league format. The Poland striker added goal No. 101 in second-half stoppage time. Ronaldo leads the all-time scoring list with 140 goals and Messi is next with 129. But neither Ronaldo nor Messi play in the Champions League anymore following moves to Saudi Arabia and the United States, respectively. The 36-year-old Lewandowski required 125 matches to reach the century mark, two more than Messi (123) and 12 fewer than Ronaldo (137). Barcelona also got a second-half score from Dani Olmo. The top eight finishers in the standings advance directly to the round of 16 in March. Teams ranked ninth to 24th go into a knockout playoffs round in February, while the bottom 12 teams are eliminated. Haaland converted a first-half penalty to eclipse Messi as the youngest player to reach 45 goals then scored City's third after the break to raise his total to 46 goals in 44 games. Ilkay Gundogan had City's second. But then Feyenoord struck back with goals from Anis Hadj Moussa, Santiago Gimenez and David Hancko. Inter Milan beat Leipzig 1-0 with an own goal to move atop the standings with 13 points, one more than Barcelona and Liverpool, which faces Real Madrid on Wednesday. The Serie A champion is the only club that hasn't conceded a goal. Bayern Munich beat Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 — the same score from the 2020 final between the two teams. PSG ended with 10 men and remained in the elimination zone. The French powerhouse has struggled in Europe after Kylian Mbappe’s move to Real Madrid. Atalanta moved within two points of the lead with a 6-1 win at Young Boys. Also, Arsenal won 5-1 at Sporting Lisbon; and Bayer Leverkusen routed Salzburg 5-0. AC Milan followed up its win at Real Madrid with a 3-2 victory at last-place Slovan Bratislava in an early match. Christian Pulisic put the seven-time champion ahead midway through the first half by finishing off a counterattack. Then Rafael Leao restored the Rossoneri’s advantage after Tigran Barseghyan had equalized for Bratislava and Tammy Abraham quickly added another. Nino Marcelli scored with a long-range strike in the 88th for Bratislava, which ended with 10 men. Bratislava has lost all five of its matches. Argentina World Cup winner Julian Alvarez scored twice and Atletico Madrid routed Sparta Prague 6-0 in the other early game. Alvarez scored with a free kick 15 minutes in and Marcos Llorente added a long-range strike before the break. Alvarez finished off a counterattack early in the second half after being set up by substitute Antoine Griezmann, who then marked his 100th Champions League game by getting on the scoresheet himself. Angel Correa added a late brace for Atletico, which earned its biggest away win in Europe. Atletico beat Paris Saint-Germain in the previous round and extended its winning streak across all competitions to six matches. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Ilkay Gundogan questioned Manchester City’s mentality after they in 10 games and effectively ended their chances of finishing in the top eight in the Champions League. The 2-0 defeat by Juventus means that City will at best probably face a two-legged play-off at best, and yet more demanding fixtures, although they are in danger of crashing out of European competition completely. Asked about City’s apparent lack of confidence, with just one win in that sequence of games, Gundogan said that teams did not have to “do that much” to score against them. The midfielder added that a lack of confidence “is a big part of it” and added: “Obviously that’s a mental issue as well. You can see that. We sometimes, one action we miss the ball, lose a duel and you see that we drop immediately, lose the rhythm, they are able to break our rhythm with the easiest of things. They don’t even need to do much. “You have to do the simple things as good as possible. Work hard again, this is how you get confidence back, even in the game if you miss something, by doing small and simple things you get confidence back. At the moment we are always doing the wrong things. “I feel like we know exactly what’s going wrong. If you look at the most part of games, even today, we actually didn’t play bad, created chances, just missed to score, in these kind of games if you give away once chance it’s not easy to bounce back. “We know what’s going wrong, it’s just finding the switch to turn things around because even though we are not getting results, it doesn’t feel like we are far off. “As long as we don’t find that click, it’s going to be tough. Every single player needs to question themselves, to do better, how the player can individually sacrifice more to contribute to the team so we can get collectively back on our way.” Once again City, who have conceded 23 times in their last 10 matches, appear to give away goals cheaply with simple mistakes. “At the moment it feels like every attack we concede is just so dangerous,” Gundogan said. “I don’t know, I have a feeling sometimes we are a bit careless with duels, instead of playing simpl,e we overcomplicate things, and we missed the right timing to release the ball. Just lose the ball and give them counter-attacks. “We are built for possession, keep the ball, be strong, if you can’t do anything don’t lose it. At the moment it’s not working out for us.” Pep Guardiola disputed Gundogan’s analysis. “I am not agreeing with Ilkay, of course it is tough, except one or two games in this period that were not good, the rest we played good,” the City manager said. He added that he questions himself. “Of course. I have my thoughts,” he said. “We play really good. You say what happened in the results. What happened today we played good. Of course I question myself. I’m stable in good moments, bad moments. “I’m incredibly honest, if we play good we play good. Always the game will save us. We can do it, today we concede few chances.” Guardiola rejected the idea that he was facing the biggest challenge of his career with City’s current crisis. “My biggest challenge is to get results to continue to work in the first seasons. It’s life, it happens, sometimes you have a bad period. I’m going to insist until we’re there,” he said, adding that the aim now was to qualify for the play-offs. “It’s the target, we need one point, three points. Go to Paris [to face PSG in January] to try to do it and the last game at home [against Club Brugge].” Rio Ferdinand claimed no one is scared of City anymore and no great team had lost the ability to inspire “fear” in their opponents as quickly as they have. Former Manchester United captain Ferdinand also said he had not seen any Guardiola side “ever be this bad” after watching them crash to their latest defeat. Ferdinand’s fellow TNT Sports pundit Joleon Lescott claimed City’s opponents had lost the “fear factor” when playing the defending Premier League champions. Former City defender Lescott said: “We all talk about the confidence of City, but they’re also losing the fear factor from the opposition, and that’s a big thing. When Rio played for United, you went there and you were in fear. If they went in front, you were in fear. But then, all of a sudden, when that goes, it just breeds confidence to the opposition.” Ferdinand added: “You’ve never seen it go out of a team so quick. The dominant teams, like the Chelseas and the Arsenals or even the teams that I played in or before me, I don’t think the dominance was kind of zapped out of the team and that fear factor was taken out immediately like this. This is like in a seven or eight-game spell. “A team that’s been so dominant, it’s so surprising to see that change so quickly.” Ferdinand had earlier said: “We just haven’t seen a Pep Guardiola side – forget Man City – a Pep Guardiola side in general ever be this bad. And he’s got to find a way of galvanising this team and reinstalling some form and confidence. “And I think it doesn’t matter what you’ve done, this is a stark reminder to any young footballer or any players that play football, anyone can lose confidence and it really, really hurt performance, and it really hurt form, and really hurt outcomes in terms of games and winning games.” He added: “For City, there’s a lot of work to be done behind the scenes now. They’ve never been here and you’re going to find out about a lot of the players here. Because it’s a nice ride to be on, it’s a nice journey to be on, when you’re winning. When it’s not going well, who is going to help you get back on the straight and narrow, back to normality? Pep will learn a lot about his players in this period.” Juventus became the latest team to ruthlessly punish City when winning possession. Ferdinand said: “Turnovers are killing them massively. As soon as they turn the ball over, they look vulnerable. Teams are slicing through them, running off players. There are big holes and big, big spaces on the pitch for teams to exploit. And they’re getting punished. And that’s a big key as well.” Lescott added: “City need to find an alternative to scoring the perfect goal and it looking slick and it being a great pass and a great touch and a great finish. Maybe just create some uncertainty in the opposition that leads to a tap-in.” City’s defeat puts them in real danger of being dumped out of the Champions League before the knockout phase, amid their worst run of results for almost two decades. It comes after they became the first club to be crowned champions of England in four successive seasons. Ferdinand said of their fans: “They’ve been able to gloat and they’ve been able to take the mickey out of people. They’re going to be the butt of a few jokes now and they’re going to have to take it on the chin.”MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — In a season of lows, the Patriots’ offensive line might have hit rock bottom in Sunday’s 34-15 loss to the Dolphins. The unit was charged with seven penalties and let up 16 total pressures to the Dolphins, per PFF’s in-game charting. Left tackle Vederian Lowe was penalized four times with three false starts and one holding penalty and allowed a strip sack, and he wasn’t the offensive tackle who wound up getting benched. That was right tackle Demontrey Jacobs, who was flagged once for a false start and once for a hold while also allowing a sack and seven pressures. “He was having a tough game,” head coach Jerod Mayo said of Jacobs. “Whether it was penalties or blocking the edge, he was having a tough game. We’ve got to protect the quarterback. As an offensive lineman, that’s what we do. We protect quarterbacks and we have to open up holes for the backs.” In all, Patriots quarterback Drake Maye was sacked four times. Guard Michael Jordan also allowed a sack. Maye didn’t have his best game of the season, but line play made the offense inoperable at times. They strung together three straight three-and-outs in the first half. Pressure also caused both of Maye’s turnovers. “Just a lack of technique,” Jacobs said of his issues. “Just got to be better in those moments really. I wouldn’t say it was nothing too extraordinary, just have to be better.” Jacobs was claimed off waivers from the Broncos in late August. Beginning the season as a deep reserve on the roster, he’s gone on to start seven games at right and left tackle. He was replaced by Sidy Sow late in the game. On top of strip-sack and four penalties, PFF charted Lowe with three hurries. When healthy, he’s been the Patriots’ top left tackle dating back to training camp. “I need to do better with cadence,” Lowe said of his false starts. “I’m trying to time up the snap and get a jump to get in the best position to be able to block these edge rushers. And I just need to be better with my operation. Those are things that I can control. Pre-snap penalties are something that you could control, it’s something nobody else did. So I know I need to be better with that.” Lowe wouldn’t blame his shoulder injury and trying to get an extra step on defenders or the crowd noise for his false starts. The starting left tackle appeared to disagree with his holding penalty. He said that it’s a trap technique he’s coached to do and one he’s performed throughout the season, but this is the first time he’s been flagged for it. “I don’t know what he saw,” Lowe said. “I’ll just go back and watch the film and try to see what he saw.” The Patriots are expected to get rookie tackle Caedan Wallace back off of injured reserve at some point this season, and he could potentially replace Jacobs. They could also slide Mike Onwenu back over from guard to right tackle. They have more depth at guard with Cole Strange returning to practice off of the PUP list and Sow and Layden Robinson as options in reserve roles. Tackles Caleb Jones and Jalen McKenzie and guard Liam Fornadel are on the practice squad. Sow, Onwenu and center Ben Brown appeared to have steady performances in Sunday’s loss.Russell Wilson splashes out on lavish gifts for Pittsburgh Steelers teammates including $10,000 Air BNB voucherShould the U.S. increase immigration levels for highly skilled workers?
It was a memorable moment for head coach Kevin O’Connell last weekend in the locker room at Lumen Field in Seattle. After the Vikings earned a 27-24 win over the Seahawks, O’Connell went through his usual routine of handing out game balls to his players. ADVERTISEMENT He recognized kicker Will Reichard and punter Ryan Wright for their prowess on special teams. He recognized safety Theo Jackson, edge rusher Dallas Turner and edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel for the impact they made on defense. He recognized receiver Justin Jefferson and quarterback Sam Darnold for making everything go on offense. Just before the Vikings started packing up, right tackle Brian O’Neill took the floor, flipping a game ball to O’Connell to recognize him for becoming the only head coach in franchise history to win at least 13 games more than once. The locker room erupted and appropriately mobbed their leader in celebration. As he reflected Friday on that particular exchange, O’Connell couldn’t help but smile. “Nobody I respect more than Brian O’Neill,” O’Connell said. “To get that from him in that moment was really special.” It’s clear how much respect O’Connell has earned since taking over the Vikings. Ask any of his players about him and they will go out of their way to make a pitch for him winning NFL Coach of the Year. As the current betting favorite in Las Vegas, O’Connell could very well be on his way to winning that annual accolade. Not that any of his players are surprised. They also aren’t surprised that O’Connell has already made franchise history. It’s a testament to the culture he has worked so hard to build over the past few seasons. ADVERTISEMENT “That’s a credit to who he is as a person,” tight end T.J. Hockenson said. “We’re very fortunate to be able to play under him.” As for O’Connell getting the game ball, Darnold joked that it was long overdue. “It was awesome,” Darnold said. “Just the way that KO approaches every single week, the way that he gets us ready, the way that he keeps everything very relaxed on game day, it helps us go out there and play loose and free.” There’s a chance linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. (hamstring) could make his return when the Vikings host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon. He is being listed as questionable as he works through the final stages of the recovery process. He would need to be activated off injured reserve in order to play, which means the Vikings would have to make a corresponding roster move. ______________________________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here .The governor of Georgia’s status as a Washington outsider helped him turn the page on a turbulent period for the US. Jimmy Carter’s ascent to the White House was something few people could have predicted when he was governor of the US state of Georgia. It was no different for Jimmy Carter in the early 1970s. It took meeting several presidential candidates and then encouragement from an esteemed elder statesman before the young governor, who had never met a president himself, saw himself as something bigger. He announced his White House bid on December 12 1974, amid fallout from the Vietnam War and the resignation of Richard Nixon. Then he leveraged his unknown, and politically untainted, status to become the 39th president. That whirlwind path has been a model, explicit and otherwise, for would-be contenders ever since. “Jimmy Carter’s example absolutely created a 50-year window of people saying, ‘Why not me?’” said Steve Schale, who worked on President Barack Obama’s campaigns and is a long-time supporter of President Joe Biden. Mr Carter’s journey to high office began in Plains, Georgia where he received end-of-life care decades after serving as president. David Axelrod, who helped to engineer Mr Obama’s four-year ascent from state senator to the Oval Office, said Mr Carter’s model is about more than how his grassroots strategy turned the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary into his springboard. “There was a moral stain on the country, and this was a guy of deep faith,” Mr Axelrod said. “He seemed like a fresh start, and I think he understood that he could offer something different that might be able to meet the moment.” Donna Brazile, who managed Democrat Al Gore’s 2000 presidential campaign, got her start on Mr Carter’s two national campaigns. “In 1976, it was just Jimmy Carter’s time,” she said. Of course, the seeds of his presidential run sprouted even before Mr Nixon won a second term and certainly before his resignation in August 1974. In Mr Carter’s telling, he did not run for governor in 1966, he lost, or in 1970 thinking about Washington. Even when he announced his presidential bid, neither he nor those closest to him were completely confident. “President of what?” his mother, Lillian, replied when he told her his plans. But soon after he became governor in 1971, Mr Carter’s team envisioned him as a national player. They were encouraged in part by the May 31 Time magazine cover depicting Mr Carter alongside the headline “Dixie Whistles a Different Tune”. Inside, a flattering profile framed Mr Carter as a model “New South” governor. In October 1971, Carter ally Dr Peter Bourne, an Atlanta physician who would become US drug tsar, sent his politician friend an unsolicited memo outlining how he could be elected president. On October 17, a wider circle of advisers sat with Mr Carter at the Governor’s Mansion to discuss it. Mr Carter, then 47, wore blue jeans and a T-shirt, according to biographer Jonathan Alter. The team, including Mr Carter’s wife Rosalynn, who died aged 96 in November 2023, began considering the idea seriously. “We never used the word ‘president’,” Mr Carter recalled upon his 90th birthday, “but just referred to national office”. Mr Carter invited high-profile Democrats and Washington players who were running or considering running in 1972, to one-on-one meetings at the mansion. He jumped at the chance to lead the Democratic National Committee’s national campaign that year. The position allowed him to travel the country helping candidates up and down the ballot. Along the way, he was among the Southern governors who angled to be George McGovern’s running mate. Mr Alter said Mr Carter was never seriously considered. Still, Mr Carter got to know, among others, former vice president Hubert Humphrey and senators Henry Jackson of Washington, Eugene McCarthy of Maine and Mr McGovern of South Dakota, the eventual nominee who lost a landslide to Mr Nixon. Mr Carter later explained he had previously defined the nation’s highest office by its occupants immortalised by monuments. “For the first time,” Mr Carter told The New York Times, “I started comparing my own experiences and knowledge of government with the candidates, not against ‘the presidency’ and not against Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. It made it a whole lot easier”. Adviser Hamilton Jordan crafted a detailed campaign plan calling for matching Mr Carter’s outsider, good-government credentials to voters’ general disillusionment, even before Watergate. But the team still spoke and wrote in code, as if the “higher office” were not obvious. It was reported during his campaign that Mr Carter told family members around Christmas 1972 that he would run in 1976. Mr Carter later wrote in a memoir that a visit from former secretary of state Dean Rusk in early 1973 affirmed his leanings. During another private confab in Atlanta, Mr Rusk told Mr Carter plainly: “Governor, I think you should run for president in 1976.” That, Mr Carter wrote, “removed our remaining doubts.” Mr Schale said the process is not always so involved. “These are intensely competitive people already,” he said of governors, senators and others in high office. “If you’re wired in that capacity, it’s hard to step away from it.” “Jimmy Carter showed us that you can go from a no-name to president in the span of 18 or 24 months,” said Jared Leopold, a top aide in Washington governor Jay Inslee’s unsuccessful bid for Democrats’ 2020 nomination. “For people deciding whether to get in, it’s a real inspiration,” Mr Leopold continued, “and that’s a real success of American democracy”.
