Alex Jones’ bankruptcy judge orders new hearing on The Onion’s Infowars bidThe Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, has removed the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Abdullahi Bichi, in a major cabinet reshuffle in the state. He also scrapped the officer of Chief of Staff currently occupied by Shehu Sagagi and dropped five commissioners from the cabinet. Some commissioners were redeployed to new ministries while a few others retained their positions. The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa, disclosed these in a statement on Thursday in Kano. He said the exercise was part of Governor Yusuf’s strategy to realign his administration for optimum performance. He added that the SSG was dropped for health reasons. The commissioners that kept their positions are: – Barr. Haruna Isa Dederi, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice – Dr. Danjuma Mahmoud, Commissioner for Agriculture – Dr. Abubakar Labaran, Commissioner for Health – Engr. Marwan Ahmad, Commissioner for Works and Housing READ ALSO: Gov Yusuf presents N549bn 2025 budget to Kano Assembly Those redeployed are Dr. Yusuf Ibrahim Kofar Mata who was moved from Ministry of Higher Education to Science, Technology, and Innovation, Amina Abdullahi, was redeployed from Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation to Ministry for Women, Children, and Persons with Disabilities while Aisha Lawal Saji was posted from Ministry of Women, Children and Persons Living with Disabilities to Ministry of Tourism and Culture. The dropped commissioners are: – Ibrahim Jibril Fagge, Ministry of Finance – Ladidi Ibrahim Garko, Ministry of Culture and Tourism – Baba Halilu Dantiye, Ministry of Information and Internal Affairs – Shehu Aliyu Yammedi, Ministry of Special Duties – Abbas Sani Abbas, Ministry of Rural and Community Development Opinions Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs. As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake. If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause. Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development. Donate Now
ABC has made the holiday season a little brighter thanks to The Great Christmas Light Fight . Season 12 is currently underway with more elaborate and unique displays. Even though Carter Oosterhouse has been judging for more than a decade, the longtime judge continues to be impressed. The construction expert and interior designer Taniya Nayak has the difficult task of deciding who out of the four families they visit in each episode takes home $50,000 and the coveted trophy. Here Oosterhouse talks about the show’s longevity and what his residence looks like during the holidays with his wife, actress Amy Smart . It’s amazing how this show has become such an annual holiday tradition for families to watch together. Carter Oosterhouse: The Great Christmas Light Fight is the gift that keeps on giving. The more we are on, the more people come up to me at the airport and reflect on how it’s a tradition for them. They tell me, “We know it’s Christmas time when we see this show come on air.” The family programming this embodies is so sweet and perfect for the holiday season. You have the holiday movies on, which are nostalgic and fun. This is a little bit different, yet gives the same moment for families to gather and have a nice little night at home. Disney/Jim Gensheimer How would you say your judging eye has evolved? That’s a good question. I think sometimes as a judge you don’t even realize how these displays continue to get better. And it’s not just bigger. It’s more than more lights. I always say I can pick the winner right when the lights go on, but that’s not always true because now what I’ve seen is the creativity level has skyrocketed. People are more and more creative than ever before. It’s not just about putting lights on a tree or making sure the balance is correct or the color profile is engaging and interesting. It’s really about creativity. What that means is people are starting to tell stories with their lights. That’s fascinating. In scripted or nonscripted TV, it’s all about telling a story. When you watch something, that is why you keep going back to it. Now these families with these light displays are telling stories. As the viewer, it’s so much more dynamic and interesting to the point you have to scratch your head and say, “I’m blown away. I’m shocked. Just when you think you’ve seen them all, you haven’t.” Technology has also advanced within these displays through computer programming and drones. The technology is there and every year it gets better. Sometimes we do have people who are extremely good with computers and putting light and synchronized lights together, but that’s not always the winner. I don’t want to say it’s usually not the winner, but it seems to me what I have learned is over time I go back to the creative ones. Those are going to be the winners. If they can throw tech in there, even better because it makes it faster, more efficient maybe, and more interesting to some degree. As far as technology goes, every year we’re seeing something different. The light fighters who have been doing it for decades and are at the forefront of this technology, really geek out over that. I do too. I love learning more about it. Then some people who are doing it for the first time knock your socks off because they have no frame of reference. They just want to do something they want to do and in their mind is really cool. I’m always amazed at the dedication of these participants. The light fighters work extremely hard. They are very diligent with what they are doing. The families are in the grind. When September comes around, they are starting to put their lights up and it’s all hands on deck. It’s a lot of work. As a judge too, I want to make sure I applaud them and give them the credit they deserve. It is impressive to see the lengths they go. These guys are beyond the next level. They know the drill. They take the kids to school, go to work, and then come home to start working on their display at all hours of the night. Then they get up the next day and do the same thing. The cool thing is I’d say 99 percent of the people are happy to do this for their community. That’s the best part. On your travels, have there been places you never thought about going but are glad you went? For Trading Spaces , we traveled all over the United States. I think that was the indoctrination of a really crazy travel schedule. I’d say the good thing is I can go back to some of these areas. To your point, I do get to see areas that have lit up these lights or sometimes they are theme parks because we do heavyweights as well. We get into bigger areas that have the capability of dressing it up. Those are eye-opening. I’m in this last round of shooting right now where there are plenty of places I’ve said, “I want to bring my daughter back here.” That’s a sign they’ve done a really good job. You and Taniya are solo judging in these episodes, but do you talk much? We touch base a couple of times during the season and before. It’s funny because it is all very similar for us. There is a progression of what these light fighters are doing. I always feel like I can figure it out if they are going to be a top tier when the lights go on. Lately, I feel as you’ve gotten into it, this is not what I expected at all and even better. That’s fun. Taniya and I have been on the same page with all that. Carter Oosterhouse and Amy Smart at “Common Ground” Screening. (Gregg DeGuire/Variety via Getty Images) Does this being known for this show put pressure on you at home to deliver a good display? Does Amy get you to work? Good question. It used to be my wife saying, “So what are we doing? Why aren’t we having any lights?” I say, “I am the judge of The Great Christmas Light Fight . I feel like I would not do a service and carry out the oath of being a judge and fail miserably putting lights up.” Usually, when I get home it’s a lot closer to Christmas. So, we do the inside. I’ve been trying to bring back things people make as a builder and duplicate them. There are a lot of makers out there. You see this guy who has been working in his workshop, who has this crazy Santa Claus walking up a ladder built on a timing system. I think that’s really cool that I want to go home and do that. So I have dabbled in those. You mentioned you’re filming right now for next year. Do you go back and watch the episodes airing as a family at home? We try to, absolutely, when I’m not shooting for next year. We critique. If my daughter is into it, I feel like I’m doing my job. There are tons of shows she can watch, especially during the holidays. I feel if she is into it, I’m doing alright. What’s your go-to Christmas movies to watch? Do you watch Amy’s movie Just Friends ? I feel sometimes people forget that is a Christmas movie. Just Friends , we do watch that. That is definitely a Christmas movie. We go back to all the nostalgic movies. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation , we run back through all that. Now there are all these shows, too. Like these Christmas baking shows. I feel like those are of interest to us too. I guess we’re finding shows I never thought I would watch and falling into. Also, being on a show this long, we’re so thankful it has been on the air this long and having such a successful run. You go through a rollercoaster of emotions. Right now, we’re doing great. It’s fun. It’s a new interest not just on the show but on Christmas too. It’s all about being loved ones. This experience has really helped me dive deeper into the whole Christmas world and look at it from other angles compared to when I first started on the show. Anything you can tease about the episodes to come? There is one episode that is coming up, and what was really of interest was the coordination. Not just of the lights but things that these blow molds were doing within the light display. We see a lot of coordination from the tech world, but when you can take traditional elements and mix those into a newer feel, that was really impressive. There was this choir of blow molds in the show, and that was so dynamic because you think, “Wait? Are those blow molds singing to me now?” There was a ton of them. Not only was it visually interesting but to hear it was amazing. What do you want to see from the show moving forward? I do like the heavyweights. Those are really fun to shoot because they are on such a different level. It’s also the community is helping out as well. You just have more people involved. I’d like to see more of those to tell you the truth because there seems to be a lot more people, which creates a bigger energy. That’s not to say the homes don’t do that. We only do one of these types of episodes a year, but I’d love to see more of them. The Great Christmas Light Fight , Thursdays, 8/7c, ABC More Headlines:
Columbia Financial, Inc. Announces Appointment of New Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating OfficerExpect disruptions as the Mongrel Mob farewells its Napier president 'Heil Dogg' this weekend, police say. 'Heil Dogg' is also known as Angus Benson and Angus Ratima. His body is at his mother's home in Maraenui, and will be taken to the nearby gang headquarters on Friday, where he will lie for his last night and for poroporoaki (farewell) before a funeral service on Saturday in Marewa. Extra police have been brought in from across the country and a number of roading checkpoints have resulted in two vehicles being seized, four breath tests failed and one arrest for disorder. There have also been a handful of people who've had gang insignia taken off them under new laws banning patches in public . Hawke's Bay area commander Inspector Lincoln Sycamore told RNZ police were expecting a large number of people to attend the tangi. "We know that Benson had a wide reach within the community both from a family perspective and whatever other interests he had... real strong in the rugby fraternity. "We are expecting a large number of people to come pay their respects from whatever walks of live they happen to choose - but certainly, and I'll emphasise, that he was a community member as well as whatever other things he chose to do." Police have brought in extra officers from all over the country, including public order teams and gang disruption units. "Essentially everybody that can wear a blue uniform from within our own capacity is what we've deployed out and about... Our focus is high visibility and to provide that reassurance and to be able to react to anything should we need to. "We think we've got the right sort of capacity to respond to whatever we need to at the time." 'Really gentle, really polite and caring' Police said Benson's death was not being treated as suspicious. and would be referred to the coroner. Locals RNZ spoke to in Maraenui said everyone was in disbelief that Benson was dead. "The whole community is in shock, no one can believe what's happened - they're still coming to terms with it. The community is really pulling together and it's quite sombre, Heil's was a really good guy, he was a really good customer," said one person. Benson was the leader of the Mongrel Mob's Barbarian chapter in Napier, but Maraenui Four Square owner Multitude Parihar remembered him as a customer who loved Kapiti ice cream . "He was really gentle, really polite and really caring. Even his dad was a regular customer. Feeling so sad for them." Parihar said there had been an influx of gang members into Maraenui, but no issues had arisen. "Yeah it's a lot, very busy. Expecting a lot tomorrow and on Saturday." Around the corner at the Mongrel Mob's Napier headquarters, a marquee and food truck had been set up on the lawn and a social media post warned tangi attendees about road closures at Benson's mother's house nearby, urging everyone to behave. A source told RNZ the tangi was expected to be peaceful, and gang members would respect the new laws banning patches in public. One local said the police presence had been over the top. "The community spirit, the family spirit is amazing. Everyone is looking out for each other but they want the police to bugger off and leave them to it." Sycamore said there had been been a variety of interactions at checkpoints. "Anecdotal feedback ranges from, 'Hey it's really great to see police here doing what you're doing,' through to, 'I've been stopped a number of times and I'm over it...' but probably in stronger language than that." Benson's body will be moved down the street to the gang pad on Saturday for a poroporoaki - a farewell - before his funeral service at the Napier Tech Sports Club in Marewa on Saturday. "The public can be assured police are ready to respond to any issues if and when they arise, and will maintain high visibility until funeral commemorations have concluded. "There will be no tolerance for breaches of the law, including the Gangs Act 2024, nor for any unsafe or intimidating behaviour," said Sycamore. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. — Huldah Momanyi-Hiltsley is the first Kenyan-born state legislator in the country. The Democrat is set to represent Osseo and parts of Brooklyn Park. “IT’S OVERWHELMING AND HUMBLING“ - This newly elected state representative is making NATIONWIDE history - Huldah... Momanyi-Hiltsley says her dream of becoming a U.S. citizen almost didn't happen. "We were literally 48 hours from being deported from this country," said Momanyi-Hiltsley. She moved to Minnesota at the age of nine — her family making the over 8,000-mile journey from Nyamira County in Kenya. But after 11 years working through the U.S. immigration system, it was a last-minute intervention by then-Senator Paul Wellstone that made the difference. "Our case was then able to be overturned and I couldn't have imagined I would be sitting here, doing an interview, 22+ years later as the newly elected representative for this district," said Momanyi-Hiltsley. The district covering Brooklyn Park and Osseo in the Minnesota House holds a special place for Momanyi-Hiltsley. It's an area she considers another home after attending Cooper High School in nearby New Hope. But the news of her election win is leading to high-profile invites in her home country. "They have invited me to go with my family for a homecoming celebration," she said. "There's a possibility of even meeting the president of Kenya and the first lady for a state visit." The win here in Minnesota is also generating a sense of pride or "kiburi" in Swahili for those in Kenya. "We belive in her," said Duke Maigna Echate, who grew up with her in Kenya. "We are going to support her both spiritually and socially." A support system that this wife and mother of two says led her own American dream. "I sit here as a testament for what this country stands for and the freedoms," Momanyi-Hiltsley added.Key Manufacturing Logistics Market Trend: Advancing Logistics Through Digital Ecosystems And Sustainable Technologies
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Vineyard Wind resumes turbine blade installation off Martha's VineyardOpinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes a mix of commentary online and in print each day. To contribute, click here . ••• The long lines on election days across countries and continents suggest dynamic democracies. But despite the calendar aligning for a record-setting number of people worldwide eligible to vote this year, democracy itself is actually imperiled. That’s the clear conclusion from Freedom House, which said in its annual “ Freedom in the World ” report that “flawed elections and armed conflicts contributed to the 18th year of democratic decline.” The “breadth and depth of the deterioration was extensive,” the think tank reported, adding that “political rights and civil liberties were diminished in 52 countries, while only 21 countries saw improvements.” That analysis was amplified in a similarly grim report from the Economist Intelligence Unit, which starkly stated that “conflict and polarization drive a new low for global democracy.” This dire data corresponds with, and may have been caused by, a commensurate retreat in media freedom, as evidenced by Reporters Without Borders’ annual World Press Freedom Index , which warned that “press freedom around the world is being threatened by the very people who should be its guarantors — political authorities.” Indeed, if democracy were a stock, “it would have suffered something of a price correction over the last 20 years,” said Richard Haass , the president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations. Haass, a veteran envoy who served Republican and Democratic administrations, was speaking via video on Tuesday night at a Minnesota Peace Initiative forum called “The World Votes: Global Democracy at a Crossroads.” The event, held in Minneapolis at Norway House (fitting, considering Norway held the top spot in the World Press Freedom Index and along with fellow Scandinavian nations is ranked as the world’s most free by Freedom House), drew a capacity crowd with many more online to hear from Haass, me and three other panelists: Chad Vickery , vice president of global strategy and technical leadership at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems; Aram Gavoor , a former Justice Department official and current professor at the George Washington University Law School; and Thomas Hanson , diplomat-in-residence at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Haass cited several factors for his clear-eyed diagnosis of democracy, including technological transformations that have ushered in an unsettled media landscape. “We live in one of the odd moments in history where there’s never been greater access to information and never been greater access to disinformation,” Haass said, adding that citizens don’t know if information is “accurate, fully accurate, partially accurate or essentially inaccurate.” That’s to autocrats’ advantage, asserted Gavoor, who said that this country’s competitors “have sought to exploit the U.S. democratic system for quite some time.” The “age of technology, especially with social media,” he said, has “taken on a dramatically different dimension.” Mentioned as additional direct democratic threats were distributed denial-of-service attacks and “strategic foreign mis- and disinformation campaigns that oftentimes are quite opportunistic and play on various doubts in the minds of Americans.” Gavoor gave this good news, however: “The federal government has actually gotten quite adept and capable with regard to identifying foreign mis- and disinformation to the extent that there are significant bodies that exist to combat these things,” like the National Security Council and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. But the threat to democracy from domestic disinformation is an even greater challenge, Gavoor said. And, he added, wherever the disinformation originates, the objective is similar. “Keep in mind that the end goal is not just to disrupt an American election or to cause a particular candidate to be advantaged or not. The end goal is to undermine the entire system of American governance and the faith in American democracy and perhaps greater softening of the resolve to maintain a democracy.” Disinformation is just one component corroding democratic norms within some countries, said Vickery. “We’ve learned how autocracy works: First, you have to win an election by popular vote, usually running against the elites in your country.” Next, he said, “you change the election laws, you game the system to make sure you can win again and not be challenged again.” “But then the third thing is you need to harass civil society in many places” — places like Norway House, he said. “After that, you need to pack the courts with judges who are going to support you, and then you want to enrich your cronies with corruption and then you buy up newspapers and television and make this propaganda machine.” If the democracy-tending attendees at Norway House were any indication, that’s not about to happen here. Indeed, the citizen engagement on display was considered a model by moderator Janet Dolan, who co-created the Minnesota Peace Initiative with her husband, William Moore. The other panelists concurred on Dolan’s admiration, and that along with a free press, such civic involvement should be inviolate in this country and the others it tries to inspire toward a democratic form of government. But the beacon that former Foreign Service officers like Hanson projected and protected on behalf of this country may not shine as bright in recent years. “I think many people in the world perceive that the American model of democracy is less compelling than it was, and that makes our work globally much more challenging,” said Hanson, who added, “and we’re beginning to see other narratives of contestation on democracy and on elections.” Hanson, who will hold his highly anticipated and attended Global Minnesota “ 2025 U.S. Foreign Policy Update ” on Jan. 23, began by saying he was “struck by the dichotomy between an agreed ‘recession of democracy’ and an unprecedented number of elections” this year. “I think that shows how elections nowadays are being used to legitimize variants of democracy.” Many “managed democracies around the world hold elections if they predetermine who can participate. This is the case in Russia. This is the case in Pakistan.” And, he added, “I hate to say it, but at the local level in our own country our two parties go to great lengths to prevent any third-party candidate from participating, which is a minor example of what I’m describing.” According to Vickery, those democracies, however managed or free and fair, have had results that can be categorized as “change-of-status elections” like in the U.S., U.K., South Africa, North Macedonia, Botswana, Senegal and others. Next are elections “solidifying power,” such as in Indonesia and Mexico. And more hopefully, there are examples of “bounce-back” democracies that through elections or civic action have gone “in the right direction,” including Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. While not as many will queue to choose their leaders next year, Vickery noted that there will be 102 elections in 68 nations affecting 1.2 billion citizens worldwide. So for many, 2025 will truly be an election year, even if globally it isn’t quite a year of elections like 2024. But democracy “is about more than voting,” said Haass. “We the citizens, we the people, have the obligation, and I would argue the self-interest, to exercise our democratic rights, to stay informed, to stay involved, and to make sure that those who are entrusted with outsized political power comport themselves and act consistent with the law, and act consistent with the norms that make our democracy what it is.” What it is can be credited in no small part to the kind of civil, civic engagement from groups like the Minnesota Peace Initiative and the involved, inspiring citizens attending Tuesday’s event.
