Facts vs. Feelings: Five players to trust in your Week 17 lineups
Dana Hull | (TNS) Bloomberg News Jared Birchall, Elon Musk’s money manager and the head of his family office, is listed as the chief executive officer. Jehn Balajadia, a longtime Musk aide who has worked at SpaceX and the Boring Co., is named as an official contact. Related Articles National Politics | Trump’s picks for top health jobs not just team of rivals but ‘team of opponents’ National Politics | Biden will decide on US Steel acquisition after influential panel fails to reach consensus National Politics | Biden vetoes once-bipartisan effort to add 66 federal judgeships, citing ‘hurried’ House action National Politics | A history of the Panama Canal — and why Trump can’t take it back on his own National Politics | President-elect Trump wants to again rename North America’s tallest peak But they’re not connected to Musk’s new technology venture, or the political operation that’s endeared him to Donald Trump. Instead, they’re tied to the billionaire’s new Montessori school outside Bastrop, Texas, called Ad Astra, according to documents filed with state authorities and obtained via a Texas Public Information Act request. The world’s richest person oversees an overlapping empire of six companies — or seven, if you include his political action committee. Alongside rockets, electric cars, brain implants, social media and the next Trump administration, he is increasingly focused on education, spanning preschool to college. One part of his endeavor was revealed last year, when Bloomberg News reported that his foundation had set aside roughly $100 million to create a technology-focused primary and secondary school in Austin, with eventual plans for a university. An additional $137 million in cash and stock was allotted last year, according to the most recent tax filing for the Musk Foundation. Ad Astra is closer to fruition. The state documents show Texas authorities issued an initial permit last month, clearing the way for the center to operate with as many as 21 pupils. Ad Astra’s website says it’s “currently open to all children ages 3 to 9.” The school’s account on X includes job postings for an assistant teacher for preschool and kindergarten and an assistant teacher for students ages 6 to 9. To run the school, Ad Astra is partnering with a company that has experience with billionaires: Xplor Education, which developed Hala Kahiki Montessori school in Lanai, Hawaii, the island 98% owned by Oracle Corp. founder Larry Ellison. Ad Astra sits on a highway outside Bastrop, a bedroom community about 30 miles from Austin and part of a region that’s home to several of Musk’s businesses. On a visit during a recent weekday morning, there was a single Toyota Prius in the parking lot and no one answered the door at the white building with a gray metal roof. The school’s main entrance was blocked by a gate, and there was no sign of any children on the grounds. But what information there is about Ad Astra makes it sound like a fairly typical, if high-end, Montessori preschool. The proposed schedule includes “thematic, STEM-based activities and projects” as well as outdoor play and nap time. A sample snack calendar features carrots and hummus. While Birchall’s and Balajadia’s names appear in the application, it isn’t clear that they’ll have substantive roles at the school once it’s operational. Musk, Birchall and Balajadia didn’t respond to emailed questions. A phone call and email to the school went unanswered. Access to high quality, affordable childcare is a huge issue for working parents across the country, and tends to be an especially vexing problem in rural areas like Bastrop. Many families live in “childcare deserts” where there is either not a facility or there isn’t an available slot. Opening Ad Astra gives Musk a chance to showcase his vision for education, and his support for the hands-on learning and problem solving that are a hallmark of his industrial companies. His public comments about learning frequently overlap with cultural concerns popular among conservatives and the Make America Great Again crowd, often focusing on what he sees as young minds being indoctrinated by teachers spewing left-wing propaganda. He has railed against diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, and in August posted that “a lot of schools are teaching white boys to hate themselves.” Musk’s educational interests dovetail with his new role as Trump’s “first buddy.” The billionaire has pitched a role for himself that he — and now the incoming Trump administration — call “DOGE,” or the Department of Government Efficiency. Though it’s not an actual department, DOGE now posts on X, the social media platform that Musk owns. “The Department of Education spent over $1 billion promoting DEI in America’s schools,” the account posted Dec. 12. Back in Texas, Bastrop is quickly becoming a key Musk point of interest. The Boring Co., his tunneling venture, is based in an unincorporated area there. Across the road, SpaceX produces Starlink satellites at a 500,000-square-foot (46,000-square-meter) facility. Nearby, X is constructing a building for trust and safety workers. Musk employees, as well as the general public, can grab snacks at the Boring Bodega, a convenience store housed within Musk’s Hyperloop Plaza, which also contains a bar, candy shop and hair salon. Ad Astra is just a five-minute drive away. It seems to have been designed with the children of Musk’s employees — if not Musk’s own offspring — in mind. Musk has fathered at least 12 children, six of them in the last five years. “Ad Astra’s mission is to foster curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking in the next generation of problem solvers and builders,” reads the school’s website. A job posting on the website of the Montessori Institute of North Texas says “While their parents support the breakthroughs that expand the realm of human possibility, their children will grow into the next generation of innovators in a way that only authentic Montessori can provide.” The school has hired an executive director, according to documents Bloomberg obtained from Texas Health and Human Services. Ad Astra is located on 40 acres of land, according to the documents, which said a 4,000-square-foot house would be remodeled for the preschool. It isn’t uncommon for entrepreneurs to take an interest in education, according to Bill Gormley, a professor emeritus at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University who studies early childhood education. Charles Butt, the chairman of the Texas-based H-E-B grocery chain, has made public education a focus of his philanthropy. Along with other business and community leaders, Butt founded “Raise Your Hand Texas,” which advocates on school funding, teacher workforce and retention issues and fully funding pre-kindergarten. “Musk is not the only entrepreneur to recognize the value of preschool for Texas workers,” Gormley said. “A lot of politicians and business people get enthusiastic about education in general — and preschool in particular — because they salivate at the prospect of a better workforce.” Musk spent much of October actively campaigning for Trump’s presidential effort, becoming the most prolific donor of the election cycle. He poured at least $274 million into political groups in 2024, including $238 million to America PAC, the political action committee he founded. While the vast majority of money raised by America PAC came from Musk himself, it also had support from other donors. Betsy DeVos, who served as education secretary in Trump’s first term, donated $250,000, federal filings show. The Department of Education is already in the new administration’s cross hairs. Trump campaigned on the idea of disbanding the department and dismantling diversity initiatives, and he has also taken aim at transgender rights. “Rather than indoctrinating young people with inappropriate racial, sexual, and political material, which is what we’re doing now, our schools must be totally refocused to prepare our children to succeed in the world of work,” Trump wrote in Agenda 47, his campaign platform. Musk has three children with the musician Grimes and three with Shivon Zilis, who in the past was actively involved at Neuralink, his brain machine interface company. All are under the age of five. Musk took X, his son with Grimes, with him on a recent trip to Capitol Hill. After his visit, he shared a graphic that showed the growth of administrators in America’s public schools since 2000. Musk is a fan of hands-on education. During a Tesla earnings call in 2018, he talked about the need for more electricians as the electric-car maker scaled up the energy side of its business. On the Joe Rogan podcast in 2020, Musk said that “too many smart people go into finance and law.” “I have a lot of respect for people who work with their hands and we need electricians and plumbers and carpenters,” Musk said while campaigning for Trump in Pennsylvania in October. “That’s a lot more important than having incremental political science majors.” Ad Astra’s website says the cost of tuition will be initially subsidized, but in future years “tuition will be in line with local private schools that include an extended day program.” “I do think we need significant reform in education,” Musk said at a separate Trump campaign event. “The priority should be to teach kids skills that they will find useful later in life, and to leave any sort of social propaganda out of the classroom.” With assistance from Sophie Alexander and Kara Carlson. ©2024 Bloomberg News. Visit at bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Cricket great Alyssa Healy is caught up in HUGE TV commentary furore over her husband Mitchell Starc Aussie skipper provided colour on Boxing Day broadcast Star then started trending on X for all the wrong reasons By SHAYNE BUGDEN FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA and OLIVER CAFFREY FOR AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: 00:05 GMT, 30 December 2024 | Updated: 00:47 GMT, 30 December 2024 e-mail 51 shares 4 View comments Cricket fans have leapt to the defence of Aussie captain Alyssa Healy after she was accused of a shocking conflict of interest when she provided colour commentary on the Boxing Day Test. The 34-year-old was hit with the controversial take because she spoke about her husband Mitch Starc's performance against India at the MCG, where he was playing a starring role in the roller-coaster match. News Corp journalist Ronny Lerner was widely condemned for his take on her commentary as he wrote on X: 'There have been plenty of unsavoury conflicts of interest in AFL commentary which have been rightly criticised over the years. Alyssa Healy commentating her husband is right up there as one of the worst in any sport.' That drew strong responses from hundreds of Australians, with the vast majority blasting Lerner. 'She's there as the captain of the women's team not as a wife. this is a very bad take. She has more cricket experience and knowledge than James brayshaw and several others in the [commentary] box, and again is the Australian captain!' one cricket fan pointed out in reply. 'Yes, because a woman is defined by who she is married to rather than her own achievements.. you know, as the Captain of the women's Australian Cricket team,' another added. Aussie skipper Alyssa Healy (left) has been accused of a huge conflict of interest because she commentated on the Boxing Day Test while her husband Mitchell Starc (right) was playing Cricket fans leapt to Healy's defence after she started trending on the social media platform X for all the wrong reasons 'Wait till this guy finds out alyssa healy is a professional cricket player,' a third chimed in. 'Alyssa Healy isn't just a generationally talented player and leader, she's one of the most insightful and intelligent commentators in the game. To suggest otherwise or question her knowledge is ignorant at best, and deliberately derisive and attention-seeking at worst,' another fan wrote. Other cricket die-hards left Starc out of their take and just concentrated on what Healy added to the broadcast. 'Alyssa Healy is a good commentator. That's all,' one said. 'Loving Alyssa Healy taking the p**s out of Mitch's golf prowess and then she makes the classic statement about an Indian batter 'being sconed in the lid' - so classic Aussie,' added another. 'Alyssa Healy is such a natural in the commentary box. Natural, nonchalant Aussie flair about her,' wrote a third. Healy's commentary included her taking a shot at Virat Kohli after India's former skipper slammed his shoulder into Australia's teenage debutant Sam Konstas in one of the the most controversial moments of this summer's series. 'It doesn't really set the greatest tone for your side, but if that's one way the Indian team wants to approach it, so be it. It didn't rattle him [Konstas] one bit,' she said. A knee injury stopped Healy from wicketkeeping during Australia's recent ODI series victory over New Zealand, and she is still trying to get to full fitness for the Ashes series against England in Australia next month. Healy (pictured holding trophies after Australia's ODI series win over New Zealand earlier this month) provided colour on Fox Sports's broadcast Many Aussies were quick to point out that Healy appeared on the coverage because she's one of the greatest cricketers Australia has produced - not because she's married to Starc '[I'm] in the Governor-General's squad and that will be a great opportunity for me to take the gloves and see how everything is progressing,' Healy told reporters on Saturday. 'It's kind of play it by ear at the moment to see how everything pulls up, but I did enjoy running around the field in New Zealand, so if that's the option and it's less disruptive to our side, then that could be the way moving forward. '... the real test will be in the next 10 days moving into the series, as to how that (knee) pulls up, how that responds to me keeping again.' The Ashes series will feature a day-night Test at the MCG, in the first time the nations' women's sides will use a pink ball since 2017. Healy was asked about the prospect of seeing banks of empty seats at the famous ground during the Test. 'We're acutely aware that there's not going to be 87,000 people coming through the gates on every day, but [someone] was asking me, "Would you rather play at North Sydney [Oval] in front of 4000 or challenge the norm and play at the MCG and see how many we can get?"' she told the ABC . 'For sure, the MCG. We grew up watching Test cricket just like everybody else and wanting to run out in our baggy greens.' AFL India Share or comment on this article: Cricket great Alyssa Healy is caught up in HUGE TV commentary furore over her husband Mitchell Starc e-mail 51 shares Add comment
Coastal Carolina wins 75-53 against WarnerTexas' abortion pill lawsuit against New York doctor marks new challenge to interstate telemedicine Texas has sued a New York doctor for prescribing abortion pills to a Texas woman via telemedicine. It appears to be the first challenge in the U.S. to a state shield law that's intended to protect prescribers in Democratic-controlled states from being punished by states with abortion bans. Prescriptions like these, made online and over the phone, are a key reason that the number of abortions has increased across the U.S. even after state bans started taking effect. Most abortions in the U.S. involve pills rather than procedures. Anti-abortion groups are increasingly focusing on the rise of pills. Syrians cheer end of 50 years of Assad rule at first Friday prayers since government fell DAMASCUS (AP) — Exuberant Syrians observed the first Friday prayers since the ouster of President Bashar Assad, gathering in the capital’s historic main mosque, its largest square and around the country to celebrate the end of half a century of authoritarian rule. The newly installed interim prime minister delivered the sermon at the Umayyad Mosque, declaring that a new era of “freedom, dignity and justice” was dawning for Syria. The gatherings illustrated the dramatic changes that have swept over Syria less than a week after insurgents marched into Damascus and toppled Assad. Amid the jubilation, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with allies around the region and called for an “inclusive and non-sectarian” interim government. US military flies American released from Syrian prison to Jordan, officials say WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military has brought an American who was imprisoned in Syria for seven months out of the country. That's according to two U.S. officials, who said Friday that Travis Timmerman has been flown to Jordan on a U.S. military helicopter. The 29-year-old Timmerman told The Associated Press earlier Friday he had gone to Syria on a Christian pilgrimage and was not ill-treated while in a notorious detention facility operated by Syrian intelligence. He said he was freed by “the liberators who came into the prison and knocked the door down (of his cell) with a hammer.” New Jersey governor wants more federal resources for probe into drone sightings TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has asked the Biden administration to put more resources into the ongoing investigation of mysterious drone sightings being reported in the state and other parts of the region. Murphy, a Democrat, made the request in a letter Thursday, noting that state and local law enforcement remain “hamstrung” by existing laws and policies in their efforts to successfully counteract any nefarious drone activity. Murphy and other officials say there is no evidence that the drones pose a national security or a public safety threat. A state lawmaker says up to 180 aircraft have been reported to authorities since Nov. 18. Nancy Pelosi hospitalized after she 'sustained an injury' from fall on official trip to Luxembourg WASHINGTON (AP) — Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been hospitalized after she “sustained an injury” during an official engagement in Luxembourg, according to a spokesman. Pelosi is 84. She was in Europe to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. Her spokesman, Ian Krager, did not describe the nature of her injury or give any additional details, but a person familiar with the incident said that Pelosi tripped and fell while at an event with the other members of Congress. The person requested anonymity to discuss the fall because they were not authorized to speak about it publicly. Russia targets Ukrainian infrastructure with a massive attack by cruise missiles and drones KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia has launched a massive aerial attack against Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia fired 93 cruise and ballistic missiles and almost 200 drones in Friday's bombardments. He says it is one of the heaviest bombardments of the country’s energy sector since Russia’s full-scale invasion almost three years ago. He says Ukrainian defenses shot down 81 missiles, including 11 cruise missiles that were intercepted by F-16 warplanes provided by Western allies earlier this year. Zelenskyy renewed his plea for international unity against Russian President Vladimir Putin. But uncertainty surrounds how the war might unfold next year. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to end the war and has thrown into doubt whether vital U.S. military support for Kyiv will continue. Trump’s lawyers rebuff DA's idea for upholding his hush money conviction, calling it 'absurd' NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers are again urging a judge to throw out his hush money conviction. In a court filing Friday, they balked at the prosecution’s “absurd” idea for preserving the verdict by treating the case the way some courts do when a defendant dies before sentencing. The Manhattan district attorney’s office is asking Judge Juan M. Merchan to “pretend as if one of the assassination attempts against President Trump had been successful,” Trump’s lawyers wrote in a blistering 23-page response. In court papers made public Tuesday, District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office proposed an array of options for keeping the historic conviction on the books after Trump’s lawyers filed paperwork earlier this month asking for the case to be dismissed. Some in seafood industry see Trump as fishermen's friend, but tariffs could make for pricier fish PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump is likely to bring big changes to seafood, one of the oldest sectors of the U.S. economy. Some in the industry believe the returning president will be more responsive to its needs. Economic analysts paint a more complicated picture, as they fear Trump’s pending trade hostilities with major trading partners Canada and China could make an already pricy kind of protein more expensive. Conservationists also fear Trump’s emphasis on deregulation could jeopardize fish stocks already in peril. But many in the commercial fishing and seafood processing industries said they expect Trump to allow fishing in protected areas and crack down on offshore wind expansion. OpenAI's legal battle with Elon Musk reveals internal turmoil over avoiding AI 'dictatorship' A 7-year-old rivalry between tech leaders Elon Musk and Sam Altman over who should run OpenAI and best avoid an artificial intelligence ‘dictatorship’ is now heading to a federal judge as Musk seeks to halt the ChatGPT maker’s ongoing conversion into a for-profit company. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year. Musk has since escalated the dispute, adding new claims and asking for a court order that would stop OpenAI’s plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully. OpenAI is filing its response Friday. Paula Abdul settles lawsuit alleging sexual assault by 'American Idol' producer Nigel Lythgoe LOS ANGELES (AP) — Paula Abdul and former “American Idol” producer Nigel Lythgoe have agreed to settle a lawsuit in which she alleged he sexually assaulted her in the early 2000s when she was a judge on the show. Abdul filed a notice of settlement of the case in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday. The lawsuit filed nearly a year ago had also accused Lythgoe of sexually assaulting Abdul after she left “American Idol” and became a judge on Lythgoe’s other competition show “So You Think You Can Dance.” Lythgoe said at the time that he was “shocked and saddened” by the allegations, which he called “an appalling smear.”
Brendan Rodgers relishes writing Celtic success story against Rangers and why Hampden is the dream setting
Skip Bayless is at it again, criticizing LeBron James's response to social media skeptics. The controversial sports personality recently unleashed a tirade on about James' reaction to fans questioning his claims about watching Dalton Knecht in college. "LeBron James has done it again. He's given me yet another reason for why he's just not the GOAT!" Bayless began, before launching into his critique of James's mental toughness. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Thanks for the feedback.Scott Bessent a credible, safe pick for Treasury: experts
Switch 2 Leak? New Tech Could Change EverythingPaul Wall Isn’t Going Anywhere: ‘I 100 Percent Intend on Doing This Until I’m 80’AP News Summary at 4:36 p.m. EST
In a message to the American people, the King expressed “great sadness” at the news of Mr Carter’s death, describing him as “a committed public servant” who “devoted his life to promoting peace and human rights”. He added: “His dedication and humility served as an inspiration to many, and I remember with great fondness his visit to the United Kingdom in 1977. “My thoughts and prayers are with President Carter’s family and the American people at this time.” Mr Carter, a former peanut farmer, served one term in the White House between 1977 and 1981 and spent his post-presidency years as a global humanitarian, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Carter had “lived his values in the service of others to the very end” through “decades of selfless public service”. Praising a “lifelong dedication to peace” that saw him win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, Sir Keir added: “Motivated by his strong faith and values, President Carter redefined the post-presidency with a remarkable commitment to social justice and human rights at home and abroad.” Tributes to Mr Carter followed the announcement of his death by his family on Sunday, more than a year after he decided to enter hospice care. His son, Chip Carter, said: “My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love.” US President Joe Biden, one of the first elected politicians to endorse Mr Carter’s bid for the presidency in 1976, said the world had “lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian”. He said: “Over six decades, we had the honour of calling Jimmy Carter a dear friend. But, what’s extraordinary about Jimmy Carter, though, is that millions of people throughout America and the world who never met him thought of him as a dear friend as well. “With his compassion and moral clarity, he worked to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil rights and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless, and always advocate for the least among us.” Vice President Kamala Harris said Mr Carter “reminded our nation and the world that there is strength in decency and compassion”. “His life and legacy continue to inspire me — and will inspire generations to come,” she said. “Our world is a better place because of President Carter.” Other UK politicians also paid tribute to Mr Carter. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said he was “an inspiration” who “led a truly remarkable life dedicated to public service with a genuine care for people”. Scottish First Minister John Swinney described the former president as “a good, decent, honest man who strove for peace in all that he did”, while Welsh First Minister said he was “a remarkable man” and “a humanitarian and scholar”. Former prime minister Sir Tony Blair said Mr Carter’s “life was a testament to public service”. He added: “I always had the greatest respect for him, his spirit and his dedication. He fundamentally cared and consistently toiled to help those in need.” Gordon Brown, another former prime minister, said it was a “privilege” to have known Mr Carter, who “will be mourned, not just in America, but in every continent where human rights are valued”. Mr Carter is expected to receive a state funeral featuring public observances in Atlanta, Georgia, and Washington DC before being buried in his hometown of Plains, Georgia. A moderate democrat born in Plains in October 1924, Mr Carter’s political career took him from the Georgia state senate to the state governorship and, finally, the White House, where he took office as 39th president in the wake of the Watergate scandal and the Vietnam War. His presidency saw economic disruption amid volatile oil prices, along with social tensions at home and challenges abroad including the Iranian revolution that sparked a 444-day hostage crisis at the US embassy in Tehran. But he also brokered the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel, which led to a peace treaty between the two countries in 1979. After his defeat in the 1980 presidential election, he worked more than four decades leading The Carter Centre, which he and his late wife Rosalynn co-founded in 1982 to “wage peace, fight disease, and build hope”. Under his leadership, the Carter Center virtually eliminated Guinea Worm disease, which has gone from affecting 3.5 million people in Africa and Asia in 1986 to just 14 in 2023. Mrs Carter, who died last year aged 96, had played a more active role in her husband’s presidency than previous first ladies, with Mr Carter saying she had been “my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished”. Earlier this year, on his 100th birthday, Mr Carter received a private congratulatory message from the King, expressing admiration for his life of public serviceBoardroom donkeys to blame – but Welsh rugby will rise again
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts puts on a wonderful performance of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” every year, and is now celebrating its 30th year of doing so. Denver Center for the Performing Arts uses Richard Hellesen’s 1987 stage adaptation, which sticks to the original story while extending and enhancing some parts. One of my favorite moments that improves upon the original story occurs when the Ghost of Christmas Present takes Ebenezer Scrooge to visit the home of Scrooge’s employee Bob Cratchit, and they hear Cratchit deliver a dinnertime toast to Scrooge’s health. Instead of the short toast to Scrooge from Dickens’ story, Hellesen gives us a wonderful speech from Cratchit to his family. In the Denver Center for the Performing Arts performance, Geoffrey Kent’s Bob Cratchit has the perfect mix of casual delivery and deliberate pause as he searches for words and finds the exact language needed for the moment. The speech is masterful and stirring, starting with Cratchit pointing out that Christmas is not a static event. “When I listen to you talk about your hopes, I can’t but think about how Christmas changes as we grow older,” he says. Cratchit was talking about his own experience with Christmas, but I often think about that line with how the holiday changes each year for society as a whole. One marker of modernization is mail delivery, that under-appreciated yet absolutely crucial part of Christmas for so many families hoping to have presents delivered to loved ones across the country. The first people to make skis and use them regularly in the West were mail carriers. Among the best-known was Norway native John Tostensen, better known as Snowshoe Thompson, who braved avalanches, bears and blizzards to deliver the mail over the Sierra Nevada mountain range between California and Nevada in the 1860s. Today, a monument exists in his honor in Soda Springs, California, with an inscription describing him as “probably the first skier of the West.” Snowshoe Thompson’s counterpart in Colorado was Snowshoe Johnson, a man who used homemade skis to deliver mail from Crystal to Crested Butte in the 1880s. In a description of an exhibit that once adorned the Colorado Snowsports Museum in Vail, Al Johnson was said to have “learned to ski fast by outrunning avalanches.” In the decades to come, technological improvements would make the job much safer and easier. The Rocky Mountain News, in December of 1926, ran a story with the headline “Air Mail is newest recruit among aids of Santa Claus,” describing how the Christmas rush had ushered in a new era of night flight, in which lights would be used to illuminate runways to allow for more packages to be delivered out of Denver to meet holiday demands. By the 1930s, skis had gone from being homemade tools built for utility to mass-produced gadgets crafted for recreation, and that fact was reflected in the letters to Santa published in area newspapers. Skis, bindings and boots began popping up in those letters by the mid-to-late 1930s (along with, somewhat disturbingly, machine guns), before disappearing altogether decades later as skis became everyday items given to children automatically as a way of life each winter, like a jacket or a pair of shoes. (Thankfully, machine guns have also disappeared from local kids’ Christmas lists.) From the Steamboat Pilot: Dec. 13, 1935, from Jay Outsen: “Dear Santa — Please bring me a pair of skis and bindings and please bring me a machine gun that shoots sparks and my sister would like you to bring her a sewing machine and a piano.” Dec. 15, 1938, from Ralph Yates: “Dear Santa — I would like a pair of skis and a pair of ice skates and a machine gun and a train and a tool set.” Dec. 14, 1939, from Maynard Smith: “Dear Santa — I want a pair of skis and a machine gun. Don’t try to come down my chimney or you will land in the basement.” Dec. 12, 1940, from Ted Kolb: “Dear Santa — I want a cowboy set. I want a machine gun. I want some skis.” In thinking about those letters to Santa, the post office and mail carriers, and all the other details where I find meaning in Cratchit’s speech about the way Christmas changes, an old joke comes to mind. I will attempt to retell it here, adapting it to our area and enhancing it slightly like Hellesen did with “A Christmas Carol.” In addition to the newspaper editor receiving many of the letters to Santa each Christmas, the other person who gets piles of them is your local postman. Oftentimes, in the back offices and break rooms of mail carriers’ workplaces, those letters would be opened and read aloud for the entertainment and enjoyment of the workers, as there’s no real place to deliver a letter addressed to the “North Pole.” As I mentioned earlier, skis and boots and bindings in mountain towns went from a common request 85 years ago to being almost nonexistent in letters to Santa in recent decades as skis started becoming regarded as parental responsibility rather than a special gift. But one year, not long ago, the post office workers here received a letter from a local third grader with beautiful handwriting who said she would love to learn how to ski. Her dad might even be able to get her a ski pass through his work, she said, but there’s no way her parents would ever be able to afford skis and bindings and boots. “If I could just get those three items, Santa — skis, bindings and boots — then I could join my friends on the mountain, where they seem to have so much fun every weekend,” she said. The post office workers, all skiers themselves, felt terrible. No child who wants to learn to ski should be held back by a lack of equipment, they said. So they passed a collection cup around among themselves, seeing if they could raise enough money to buy her the equipment she needed. Some donated $50, some $100, and at the end of the day, they had raised enough to get her a nice pair of skis with bindings in a size that she would be able to use for several seasons. But there wasn’t enough money left over for ski boots, and they didn’t know what size she was anyway, so they figured if they delivered the skis and bindings to the return address on the letter, someone would find a way to get the child a pair of boots so she could get on the mountain. A week went by and another envelope addressed to the North Pole was received, a rare post-Christmas letter to Santa. The workers immediately recognized the beautiful handwriting and opened it to see what the girl had to say. “Dear Santa — thank you so much for the skis and bindings,” the letter said. “I know you got me a pair of ski boots also, but the stupid idiots at the post office must have lost them.”
Bitcoin’s BTC/USD sell-off on Friday saw prices dip below $93,000, but Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan argues that the current pullback is a “hiccup” rather than a trend reversal. Hougan sees strong underlying factors including regulatory tailwinds , institutional adoption and Bitcoin purchases by governments as structurally bullish factors for Bitcoin. Crypto’s Turbulent Friday Trading Session The cryptocurrency market experienced a volatile session Friday, triggered by the Federal Reserve’s decision to lower its anticipated rate cuts for the coming year. Bitcoin plummeted from a high of $108,135 to below $92,805, before rebounding slightly, currently trading around $96,950, down 1.2% on the day. Ethereum ETH/USD also traded down by 1% to $3,430. This sharp decline mirrored a broader pullback in risk assets , with the S&P 500 dropping 3% and the Russell 2000 Small Cap Index falling 4.4% following the Fed announcement. The Fed’s move, while expected in terms of a 25 basis point rate cut , surprised markets with its reduced forecast for future cuts. It is now projecting only two in 2025, down from four. Also Read: Rattled ‘Hawk Tuah Girl’ Haliey Welch Resurfaces After Meme Coin Scandal: ‘I Take This Situation Extremely Seriously’ The Fed Matters For Crypto — But Other Factors Matter More Potentially higher interest rates traditionally pressure risk assets, and this announcement initiated an initial sell-off across the board, Matt Hougan noted in a social media thread earlier in the day. However, he emphasized that leverage within the crypto market acted as a significant catalyst for the deeper-than-expected decline. Hougan maintains that the broader bull market trend remains intact — $1.38 billion of liquidated positions in 24 hours notwithstanding. He claims the Fed is less impactful to the sector than in previous years, and the industry has gained significant internal momentum due to several fundamental shifts. He points to several key factors supporting the bullish thesis: An imminent pro-crypto regulatory shift in Washington, see Trump’s appointment of a ‘ crypto czar .’ Increasing institutional involvement and ETF flows, such as record-breaking spot ETF flows . Bitcoin acquisitions by governments and corporations — even a strategic Bitcoin reserve may be on the table. Major technological advancements in the programmable blockchain sector ( tokenization anyone ?). In a series of tweets , Hougan also highlighted that Bitcoin’s 10-day exponential moving average (approximately $102,000) remains above its 20-day exponential moving average (around $99,000), which is a traditional bullish indicator for him. This technical measure has historically been a reliable gauge of market trends and suggests the medium term trend for Bitcoin, despite the volatility, is still positive. What Technical Indicators Are Saying According to James Toledano , Chief Operating Officer at Unity Wallet , “Profit taking is definitely at play here, with Bitcoin trading volume rising 24% in the last day and Bitcoin ETF outflows hitting a record $672M in 1 day.” This shows recent price volatility is not solely attributable to external influences, but internal to the market as well. “Many people who invested earlier in the year will have doubled their money and those who invested years ago, made more than they ever dreamt possible,” he told Benzinga. Toledano also noted that whilst Bitcoin trading volume is skewed towards selling, altcoins have been subject to significant trading activity. Ethereum trading volume is up 45% over 24 hours, with 70% of that buying activity. XRP XRP/USD , currently up 1% on the day and recovering from a 20% drop earlier in the day, is seeing a similar volume pattern. BNB BNB/USD is also up 1.3% at $670. However, Dogecoin DOGE/USD is down 1% and Shiba Inu SHIB/USD down about 5% , hile SUI SUI/USD is up 7% at press time. While reduced liquidity in the upcoming holiday period could lead to increased volatility, Toledano added, the absence of major institutional activity may stabilize prices. He also pointed out that, based on historic trends, there is no clear pattern at this time of the year. Read Next: Are MicroStrategy’s Bitcoin Purchases On Hold In January? Image: Shutterstock © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.The Christmas tradition has become nearly global in scope: Children from around the world as he sweeps across the earth, delivering presents and defying time. Each year, at least 100,000 kids call into the North American Aerospace Defense Command to inquire about Santa’s location. Millions more , from English to Japanese. On any other night, NORAD is scanning the heavens , such as last year’s . But on Christmas Eve, volunteers in Colorado Springs are fielding questions like, “When is Santa coming to my house?” and, “Am I on the naughty or nice list?” “There are screams and giggles and laughter,” said Bob Sommers, 63, a civilian contractor and NORAD volunteer. Sommers often says on the call that everyone must be asleep before Santa arrives, prompting parents to say, “Do you hear what he said? We got to go to bed early.” NORAD’s annual tracking of Santa has endured since , predating and . The tradition continues regardless of government shutdowns, such as , and . Here’s how it began and why the phones keep ringing. It started with a child’s accidental phone call in 1955. The Colorado Springs newspaper printed a Sears advertisement that encouraged children to call Santa, listing a phone number. A boy called. But he reached the Continental Air Defense Command, now NORAD, a joint U.S. and Canadian effort to spot potential enemy attacks. Tensions were growing with the Soviet Union, along with anxieties about nuclear war. Air Force Col. Harry W. Shoup picked up an emergency-only “red phone” and was greeted by a tiny voice that began to recite a Christmas wish list. “He went on a little bit, and he takes a breath, then says, ‘Hey, you’re not Santa,’” Shoup told The Associated Press in 1999. Realizing an explanation would be lost on the youngster, Shoup summoned a deep, jolly voice and replied, “Ho, ho, ho! Yes, I am Santa Claus. Have you been a good boy?” Shoup said he learned from the boy’s mother that Sears mistakenly printed the top-secret number. He hung up, but the phone soon rang again with a young girl reciting her Christmas list. Fifty calls a day followed, he said. In the pre-digital age, the agency used a 60-by-80 foot (18-by-24 meter) plexiglass map of North America to track unidentified objects. A staff member jokingly drew Santa and his sleigh over the North Pole. The tradition was born. “Note to the kiddies,” began an AP story from Colorado Springs on Dec. 23, 1955. “Santa Claus Friday was assured safe passage into the United States by the Continental Air Defense Command.” In a likely reference to the Soviets, the article noted that Santa was guarded against possible attack from “those who do not believe in Christmas.” Some grinchy journalists have nitpicked Shoup’s story, questioning whether a misprint or a misdial prompted the boy’s call. In 2014, tech news site Gizmodo from Dec. 1, 1955, about a child’s call to Shoup. Published in the Pasadena Independent, the article said the child reversed two digits in the Sears number. “When a childish voice asked COC commander Col. Harry Shoup, if there was a Santa Claus at the North Pole, he answered much more roughly than he should — considering the season: ‘There may be a guy called Santa Claus at the North Pole, but he’s not the one I worry about coming from that direction,’” Shoup said in the brief piece. In 2015, The Atlantic magazine to the secret line, while noting that Shoup had a flair for public relations. Phone calls aside, Shoup was indeed media savvy. In 1986, he told the Scripps Howard News Service that he recognized an opportunity when a staff member drew Santa on the glass map in 1955. A lieutenant colonel promised to have it erased. But Shoup said, “You leave it right there,” and summoned public affairs. Shoup wanted to boost morale for the troops and public alike. “Why, it made the military look good — like we’re not all a bunch of snobs who don’t care about Santa Claus,” he said. Shoup died in 2009. His children that it was a misprinted Sears ad that prompted the phone calls. “And later in life he got letters from all over the world,” said Terri Van Keuren, a daughter. “People saying ‘Thank you, Colonel, for having, you know, this sense of humor.’” NORAD’s tradition is one of the few modern additions to the centuries-old Santa story that have endured, according to Gerry Bowler, a Canadian historian who spoke to the AP in 2010. Ad campaigns or movies try to “kidnap” Santa for commercial purposes, said Bowler, who wrote “Santa Claus: A Biography.” NORAD, by contrast, takes an essential element of Santa’s story and views it through a technological lens. In a recent interview with the AP, Air Force Lt. Gen. Case Cunningham explained that NORAD radars in Alaska and Canada —- known as the northern warning system — are the first to detect Santa. He leaves the North Pole and typically heads for the international dateline in the Pacific Ocean. From there he moves west, following the night. “That’s when the satellite systems we use to track and identify targets of interest every single day start to kick in,” Cunningham said. “A probably little-known fact is that Rudolph’s nose that glows red emanates a lot of heat. And so those satellites track (Santa) through that heat source.” NORAD has an app and website, , that will track Santa on Christmas Eve from 4 a.m. to midnight, mountain standard time. People can call 1-877-HI-NORAD to ask live operators about Santa’s location from 6 a.m. to midnight, mountain time.
