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Vasquez shot 8 for 19 (2 for 9 from 3-point range) and 7 of 7 from the free-throw line for the Blazers (4-4). Yaxel Lendeborg added 20 points while shooting 9 for 12, including 2 for 3 from beyond the arc while he also had six rebounds. Christian Coleman had 16 points and shot 7 of 13 from the field. Mostapha El Moutaouakkil led the way for the Ragin' Cajuns (1-6) with 19 points. Christian Wright added 15 points and six assists for Louisiana. Koron Davis also put up 14 points. Coleman scored 10 points in the first half and UAB went into the break trailing 44-42. Vasquez scored 17 points in the second half. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .How major US stock indexes fared Tuesday, 12/24/2024A former Tesco employee has revealed some home truths they wish they could share with customers. With the Christmas rush over, people across the country have recently experienced the stress of heading to the supermarket to stock up on festive items. Indeed, many of us will be repeating this stressful cycle in preparation for New Year's Eve. Retail giants like Tesco, Aldi, Sainsbury's and more see a significant surge in footfall during this period, as shoppers ensure they have all their necessities. As such, it's understandable that tensions can escalate among both customers and staff who are under immense pressure due to high demand. A previous Tesco worker shared with the Mirror what they'd like to tell customers during these challenging times, from disliking asking for ID to the plastic bag charge. Here's what they had to say. 1. I know it's three minutes until we open, but I can't unlock the doors just because you're standing there. The former employee stated: "You're early, that's great. But unfortunately when we open at 7am, that means 7am.", reports . "I'm sorry if it's raining, or you're cold. But looking at me with a face like thunder isn't going to speed this process up." 2. Huffing and puffing in the queue won't make me go any quicker on the checkouts. They added: "I'm not deliberately going slow - it's just busy in here." 3. Asking for ID is a chore, especially when the person is clearly over the age limit. The ex-Tesco worker shared some light-hearted truths about the trade: "Feel flattered I'm asking you to prove you're old enough to buy that bottle of vodka, because I'm not doing it for fun." They also touched on winter workwear, confessing: "They aren't the most flattering items of clothing to wear, but they are amazingly warm in those chilly winter months." Discussing the customer rush for bargains, the former employee remarked: "Those yellow stickers are coming out, and it's like shoppers can smell them a mile off." Filling shelves comes with its own challenges, as they explained: "We all know those huge cages can get in the way, but getting the products off them is the real task." Debunking any myths about staff perks, they divulged: "Going on lunch and finding yourself short of a few quid so you opt for that Tesco Everyday Value thick sliced bread that your managers generously left in the staff room." Being asked for discounts is common too, which prompts a reserved reaction: "The last box of 10 pack fish fingers has been opened - it's probably just a damaged box but hey, I'll knock 10 per cent off to avoid the drama," the shop worker disclosed. On the subject of carrier bags, they made their stance clear: "Rolling your eyes when a customer blames Tesco for the 5p plastic bag charge - I'm all for saving the planet, but don't take it out on the messenger." Lastly, they noted their insight into loyal customers' routines. They've got their eye on regulars, with a touch of humour: "That's right, Barbara. I see you doing the weekly shop at 7pm every Wednesday. I saw you last week, and the week before that, and the week before that..." They're not fans of self-checkouts either, as one ex-employee confessed: "And impatiently waving your product in front of the scanner isn't going to make my life any easier." "I hold the power to unlock these bad boys, and the red light flashing above you has already told me you need my help."

Jimmy Carter, the self-effacing peanut farmer, humanitarian and former navy lieutenant who helped Canada avert a nuclear catastrophe before ascending to the highest political office in the United States, died Sunday at his home in Georgia. He was 100, making him the longest-lived U.S. president in American history. Concern for Carter's health had become a recurring theme in recent years. He was successfully treated for brain cancer in 2015, then suffered a number of falls, including one in 2019 that resulted in a broken hip. Alarm spiked in February 2023, however, when the Carter Center — the philanthropic organization he and his wife Rosalynn founded in 1982 — announced he would enter hospice care at his modest, three-bedroom house in Plains, Ga. Rosalynn Carter, a mental health advocate whose role as presidential spouse helped to define the modern first lady, predeceased her husband in November 2023 — a death at 96 that triggered a remembrance to rival his. "Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished," the former president said in a statement after she died. "As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me." Conventional wisdom saw his single White House term as middling. But Carter's altruistic work ethic, faith-filled benevolence and famous disdain for the financial trappings of high office only endeared him to generations after he left politics in 1981. "The trite phrase has been, 'Jimmy Carter has been the best former president in the history of the United States,'" said Gordon Giffin, a former U.S. ambassador to Canada who sits on the Carter Center's board of trustees. "That grated on him, because it distinguished his service as president from his service — and I literally mean service — as a former president." His relentless advocacy for human rights, a term Carter popularized long before it became part of the political lexicon, included helping to build homes for the poor across the U.S. and in 14 other countries, including Canada, well into his 90s. He devoted the resources of the Carter Center to tackling Guinea worm, a parasite that afflicted an estimated 3.5 million people in the developing world in the early 1980s and is today all but eradicated, with just 13 cases reported in 2022. And he was a tireless champion of ending armed conflict and promoting democratic elections in the wake of the Cold War, with his centre monitoring 113 such votes in 39 different countries — and offering conflict-resolution expertise when democracy receded. Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, nearly a quarter-century after his seminal work on the Camp David Accords helped pave the way for a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt in 1979, the first of its kind. "His presidency got sidelined in the historic evaluation too quickly, and now people are revisiting it," Giffin said. "I think his standing in history as president will grow." A lifelong Democrat who never officially visited Canada as president, Carter was nonetheless a pioneer of sorts when it came to Canada-U.S. relations and a close friend to the two Canadian prime ministers he served alongside. One of them, former Progressive Conservative leader Joe Clark, once called Carter a "pretty good Canadian" — a testament to the former commander-in-chief's authenticity and centre-left politics, which always resonated north of the Canada-U.S. border. The pair were reunited in 2017 at a panel discussion in Atlanta hosted by the Canadian American Business Council, and seemed to delight in teasing the host when she described Clark as a "conservative" and Carter as a "progressive." "I'm a Progressive Conservative — that's very important," Clark corrected her. Piped up Carter: "I'm a conservative progressive." In 2012, the Carters visited Kingston, Ont., to receive an honorary degree from Queen's University. Instead of a fancy hotel, they stayed with Arthur Milnes, a former speech writer, journalist and political scholar who'd long since become a close friend. "He became my hero, believe it or not, probably when I was about 12," said Milnes, whose parents had come of age during the Cold War and lived in perpetual fear of the ever-present nuclear threat until Carter took over the White House in 1977. "My mother never discussed politics, with one exception — and that was when Jimmy Carter was in the White House. She'd say, 'Art, Jimmy Carter is a good and decent man,'" Milnes recalled. "They always said, both of them, that for the first time since the 1950s, they felt safe, knowing that it was this special man from rural Georgia, Jimmy Carter, who had his finger on the proverbial button." While Richard Nixon and Pierre Trudeau appeared to share a mutual antipathy during their shared time in office, Carter got along famously with the prime minister. Indeed, it was at the express request of the Trudeau family that Carter attended the former prime minister's funeral in 2000, Giffin said. "The message I got back was the family would appreciate it if Jimmy Carter could come," said Giffin, who was the U.S. envoy in Ottawa at the time. "So he did come. He was at the Trudeau funeral. And to me, that said a lot about not only the relationship he had with Trudeau, but the relationship he had in the Canada-U.S. dynamic." It was at that funeral in Montreal that Carter — "much to my frustration," Giffin allowed — spent more than two hours in a holding room with Cuban leader Fidel Castro, a meeting that resulted in Carter visiting Cuba in 2002, the first former president to do so. But it was long before Carter ever entered politics that he established a permanent bond with Canada — one forged in the radioactive aftermath of what might otherwise have become the country's worst nuclear calamity. In 1952, Carter was a 28-year-old U.S. navy lieutenant, a submariner with a budding expertise in nuclear power, when he and his crew were dispatched to help control a partial meltdown at the experimental Chalk River Laboratories northwest of Ottawa. In his 2016 book "A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety," Carter described working in teams of three, first practising on a mock-up of the reactor, then on the real thing, in short 90-second bursts to avoid absorbing more than the maximum allowable dose of radiation. "The limit on radiation absorption in the early 1950s was approximately 1,000 times higher than it is 60 years later," he wrote. "There were a lot of jokes about the effects of radioactivity, mostly about the prospect of being sterilized, and we had to monitor our urine until all our bodies returned to the normal range." That, Carter would later acknowledge in interviews, took him about six months. Carter and Clark were both in office during the so-called "Canadian Caper," a top-secret operation to spirit a group of U.S. diplomats out of Iran following the fall of the U.S. embassy in Tehran in 1979. The elaborate ploy, which involved passing the group off as a Canadian science-fiction film crew, was documented in the Oscar-winning 2012 Ben Affleck film "Argo." Carter didn't think much of the film. "The movie that was made, 'Argo,' was very distorted. They hardly mentioned the Canadian role in this very heroic, courageous event," he said during the CABC event. He described the true events of that escapade as "one of the greatest examples of a personal application of national friendship I have ever known." To the end, Carter was an innately humble and understated man, said Giffin — a rare commodity in any world leader, much less in one from the United States. "People underestimate who Jimmy Carter is because he leads with his humanity," he said. "I read an account the other day that said the Secret Service vehicles that are parked outside his house are worth more than the house. How many former presidents have done that?" This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec, 29, 2024. James McCarten, The Canadian Press

WASHINGTON — Donald Trump threatened the United States's closest neighbours with big tariffs this week, in a move that has reminded many of the unpredictable tactics the president-elect deployed during his first tenure in the White House. Trump said Monday he would use an executive order to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all goods coming from Canada and Mexico until the two countries stop drugs and migrants from illegally crossing the U.S. border. The announcement, made on Truth Social, brought swift responses from officials and industry in both countries who are bracing for chaos during Trump's second tenure. He has long used the threat of import taxes to pressure other countries to do his bidding, saying this summer that "the most beautiful word in the dictionary is 'tariff.'" It's unlikely the move would violate the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, which was negotiated during the first Trump administration. Laura Dawson, an expert on Canada-U. S. relations and the executive director of the Future Borders Coalition, said the president can impose tariffs under his national security powers. This type of duty has a time limit and can only be made permanent through Congressional approval, but for Trump, national security powers are like a "get out of jail free card," Dawson said. "This is exactly what happened in the last Trump administration," Dawson said. "Everyone said, 'Well, that is ridiculous. Canada is the U.S.'s best security partner. What do you mean our steel and aluminum imports are somehow a source of insecurity?'" But within the global trade system, she said, no country challenges another's right to define their own national security imperatives. Trump's first administration demonstrated how vulnerable Canada is to America's whims when the former president scrapped the North American Free Trade Agreement. The U.S. is Canada's closest neighbour and largest trading partner. More than 77 per cent of Canadian exports go to the U.S. Negotiation of CUSMA, commonly dubbed "the new NAFTA," was a key test for Ottawa following Trump's first victory. The trilateral agreement is up for review in 2026 and experts suspect this week's tariff announcement is a negotiating tactic. Scott Bessent, Trump's pick for treasury secretary, said in a recent op-ed that tariffs are "a useful tool for achieving the president's foreign policy objectives." "Whether it is getting allies to spend more on their own defence, opening foreign markets to U.S. exports, securing co-operation on ending illegal immigration and interdicting fentanyl trafficking, or deterring military aggression, tariffs can play a central role." During the initial CUSMA negotiations in 2018, Trump floated the idea of a 25 per cent tariff on the Canadian auto sector — something that would have been crippling for the industry on both sides of the border. It was never implemented. At the time, he did use his national security powers to impose a 25 per cent tariff on steel and 10 per cent tariff on aluminum imports, casting fear of an all-out trade war that would threaten the global economy. The day after announcing those levies, Trump posted on social media "trade wars are good, and easy to win." Former U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer recounted in his book that the duties sent an "unmistakable signal that business as usual was over." "The Trump administration was willing to ruffle diplomatic feathers to advance its trade agenda." It led to a legendary clash between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Trump at the G7 in Quebec. Trudeau said Canada would impose retaliatory measures, saying the argument that tariffs on steel and aluminum were a matter of national security was "kind of insulting." Trump took to social media, where, in a flurry of posts he called Trudeau "very dishonest and weak." Canada and other countries brought their own duties against the U.S. in response. They targeted products for political, rather than economic, reasons. Canada hit yogurt with a 10 per cent duty. Most of the product impacted came from one plant in Wisconsin, the home state of then-Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. The European Union, Mexico and Canada all targeted U.S. whiskey products with tariffs, in a clear signal to then Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his home state of Kentucky’s bourbon industry. Ultimately, Canada and Mexico were able to negotiate exemptions. Carlo Dade, the director of trade and trade infrastructure at the Canada West Foundation, said Trump is returning to the White House with more experience and a plan. But he suspects Americans will not like the blow to their bank accounts. Trump’s new across-the-board tariff strategy would not only disrupt global supply chains, it would also cause a major shakeup to the American economy. It's unclear if Trump will go through with them, or for how long, after campaigning on making life more affordable and increasing the energy market. "I think it will be short-term," Dade said. "The U.S. can only inflict damage on itself for so long." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 26, 2024. — With files from The Associated Press Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press

New research shows restaurant chains and food concepts are helping shopping malls regain their footing, driving consumers to the once-struggling spaces. The data from Yelp shows restaurants have become a driving force in this ever-changing retail landscape, helping to catapult visitor numbers above pre-pandemic levels at malls. Shoppers grab a bite to eat and then spend their money at various businesses before and after they dine out — creating a bounce-back effect for what has often been dubbed a "struggling industry." Days of packed shopping malls are beginning to return, but they look a bit different than what we were used to in the 1990s and early 2000s. RELATED STORY | Retailers say they're ready for potential Trump tariffs Take a drive past or step foot near Great Northern Mall in Ohio and you'll be greeted by one restaurant after the next. More are on the way, including a Texas Roadhouse in the near future. "Five times more traffic," Tony Ke, the owner of TJ Hibachi and Sushi said. Ke said through the ups and downs of the coronavirus pandemic, and many folks opting for online shopping over the years, things are finally turning around. He said business is booming with five times more traffic in the mall food court than in years past. "It's really getting better and better," Ke said. And he's not alone. Scripps News Cleveland followed through and spoke with Beverly Bolton, owner of Fortune's Cookies. The self-proclaimed community baker and Cleveland-area mom took a gamble, opening her first brick-and-mortar inside Great Northern a year ago. "It's been an adventure, but better than I expected," Bolton said. The local cookie shop has become so popular that she's been scouted to fill that nostalgic mall cookie void. "We've had some other malls approach us. Actually, use the space where Mrs. Fields used to be in," Bolton said. RELATED STORY | Big Lots continues some store closures as its bankruptcy proceeds Placer.AI reports shopping malls — whether it be open-air concepts or traditional malls like Great Northern — are on the rise again in 2024. The organization that tracks retail foot traffic reports the primary reason is restaurants and food concepts in malls. They are up 7% from 2019 to 2024. Yelp recently released a report of the top 25 mall brands, and 17 of the top 25 mall brands are restaurant chains: Cheesecake Factory at number 1 BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse at 4 Starbucks at 6 Olive Garden at 7 Panera at 10 Chili's at 21 Food concepts are a driving force as well. This includes Filipino, Vegan and specifically Bubble Teas —which are up 100% over the last five years, according to Yelp. Michael Goldberg, a professor in the Department of Design Innovation at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, said a generation that has virtually lived online plays a critical role in the process. "Many Americans, particularly younger Americans, are focused on experiences and nothing is better than sharing food with friends," Goldberg said. Young social media influencers are eating food on camera, providing reviews and driving people to dive in and try the food. The TikTok generation has given a major boost to once-struggling brands and revived them tenfold. Case in point: Chili's Triple Dipper. "The thought that Chili's is back and being driven by influencer videos on TikTok is quite fascinating and, you know, I mean, there is a nostalgia for brands," Goldberg said. Localized community programming and holiday events like pictures with Santa are a mainstay at malls like Great Northern. Lori Weidleman, who has been cranking out pretzels at Auntie Anne's since 1997, said change is constant. However, she added it's become apparent people will pay for a quality product that takes them back to a special moment in life. "Ohio's doing really good. We're strong and beating our goals and our targets. And it's multi-generational interest," Weidleman said. This story was originally published by Mike Holden at Scripps News Cleveland .

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — There are no moral victories in professional sports. However the Carolina Panthers’ ability to take the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs down to the wire on Sunday before losing 30-27 on a walk-off field goal has first-year coach Dave Canales excited about the direction of his team. And he has a right to be. The Panthers (3-8) have come a long way since losing their first two games by a combined 73-13 margin. Canales said that while players were sick to their stomachs in the locker room after the game for “letting an opportunity slip away,” he added that he believes they can “feel what is happening” in the organization and likes the team's fight. “We are becoming us," Canales said. “We’re becoming a style of football that we want to pride ourselves on. We took care of the football. Defensively, we got after it ... I think that the guys can feel what we’re trying to get done philosophically." Canales even gave his players the day off on Monday, something that usually only happens after wins. A big reason for the team's improvement in recent weeks is the play of quarterback Bryce Young. Young made big plays at crucial times, leading the Panthers back from 11 points down in the fourth quarter to tie the game before Patrick Mahomes drove the Chiefs on a game-winning drive in the final two minutes. Young finished 21 of 35 for 263 yards with one touchdown and no turnovers. Breaking with his custom over the past few weeks, Canales immediately said Young will be the team's starter next Sunday against Tampa Bay. “I just saw him playing decisive and it comes with confidence in knowing his guys are going to be where they’re supposed to be when they’re supposed to be there,” Canales said. “You saw a bunch of back foot throws where he knew somebody was coming open and the anticipation, all that comes from the chemistry just building over these weeks. I was really excited to see some of those things come alive.” Still, Young is just 4-18 as an NFL starter, and Canales stopped short of saying the 2023 No. 1 overall pick has what it takes to be the team's franchise quarterback. “That’s really far in the future,” Canales said. “Right now, I’m just looking to build off this week, have another solid week of practice, bring the guys back together and just attack the basics, the fundamentals right now.” What’s working Edge rusher D.J. Wonnum has given an immediate boost to the Panthers pass rush since coming off injured reserve. Carolina has had seven sacks in Wonnum's two starts, including five on Sunday against Patrick Mahomes. Carolina had only 10 sacks in nine games without Wonnum. Wonnum has two sacks and a forced fumble, and his presence has helped take pressure of edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney. “He’s a pro’s pro the way he prepares, how meticulous he is about his rush plan, just learning the different players he’s playing against and just how focused and intentional he is in his practice and preparation and it shows up on game day,” Canales said. What needs help The Panthers secondary remains a major issue. Carolina allowed Mahomes to carve them up, completing 27 of 37 passes for 269 yards and three touchdowns. Carolina has now allowed 21 passing touchdowns, which ranks near the bottom of the league. Stock up Veteran wide receiver David Moore saw increased playing time with rookie Jalen Coker a game-time scratch. Moore responded with a team-high six catches for 81 yards and a touchdown. Moore has the trust of Canales after playing for him last season in Tampa Bay. Stock down Cornerback Dane Jackson failed to tackle Mahomes on his big 33-yard run that set up the winning field goal. Injuries Rookie tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders was discharged from the hospital on Sunday after suffering a neck injury and having to be carted off the field on a backboard. Sanders had the use of all of his extremities, the team said. It's too early to know if he'll play in Week 13. Key number 7 — If the Panthers lose Sunday it'll mark the seventh straight season they've finished with a losing record under owner David Tepper. Carolina has not been to the postseason since Tepper bought the team from Jerry Richardson in 2018. Next steps The Panthers host Tampa Bay and former Carolina QB Baker Mayfield on Sunday. Mayfield beat the Panthers twice last season, gaining a measure of revenge after being cut by Carolina midway through the 2022 season. Mayfield is 3-0 against the Panthers. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Steve Reed, The Associated Press

New research shows restaurant chains and food concepts are helping shopping malls regain their footing, driving consumers to the once-struggling spaces. The data from Yelp shows restaurants have become a driving force in this ever-changing retail landscape, helping to catapult visitor numbers above pre-pandemic levels at malls. Shoppers grab a bite to eat and then spend their money at various businesses before and after they dine out — creating a bounce-back effect for what has often been dubbed a "struggling industry." Days of packed shopping malls are beginning to return, but they look a bit different than what we were used to in the 1990s and early 2000s. RELATED STORY | Retailers say they're ready for potential Trump tariffs Take a drive past or step foot near Great Northern Mall in Ohio and you'll be greeted by one restaurant after the next. More are on the way, including a Texas Roadhouse in the near future. "Five times more traffic," Tony Ke, the owner of TJ Hibachi and Sushi said. Ke said through the ups and downs of the coronavirus pandemic, and many folks opting for online shopping over the years, things are finally turning around. He said business is booming with five times more traffic in the mall food court than in years past. "It's really getting better and better," Ke said. And he's not alone. Scripps News Cleveland followed through and spoke with Beverly Bolton, owner of Fortune's Cookies. The self-proclaimed community baker and Cleveland-area mom took a gamble, opening her first brick-and-mortar inside Great Northern a year ago. "It's been an adventure, but better than I expected," Bolton said. The local cookie shop has become so popular that she's been scouted to fill that nostalgic mall cookie void. "We've had some other malls approach us. Actually, use the space where Mrs. Fields used to be in," Bolton said. RELATED STORY | Big Lots continues some store closures as its bankruptcy proceeds Placer.AI reports shopping malls — whether it be open-air concepts or traditional malls like Great Northern — are on the rise again in 2024. The organization that tracks retail foot traffic reports the primary reason is restaurants and food concepts in malls. They are up 7% from 2019 to 2024. Yelp recently released a report of the top 25 mall brands, and 17 of the top 25 mall brands are restaurant chains: Food concepts are a driving force as well. This includes Filipino, Vegan and specifically Bubble Teas —which are up 100% over the last five years, according to Yelp. Michael Goldberg, a professor in the Department of Design Innovation at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, said a generation that has virtually lived online plays a critical role in the process. "Many Americans, particularly younger Americans, are focused on experiences and nothing is better than sharing food with friends," Goldberg said. Young social media influencers are eating food on camera, providing reviews and driving people to dive in and try the food. The TikTok generation has given a major boost to once-struggling brands and revived them tenfold. Case in point: Chili's Triple Dipper. "The thought that Chili's is back and being driven by influencer videos on TikTok is quite fascinating and, you know, I mean, there is a nostalgia for brands," Goldberg said. Localized community programming and holiday events like pictures with Santa are a mainstay at malls like Great Northern. Lori Weidleman, who has been cranking out pretzels at Auntie Anne's since 1997, said change is constant. However, she added it's become apparent people will pay for a quality product that takes them back to a special moment in life. "Ohio's doing really good. We're strong and beating our goals and our targets. And it's multi-generational interest," Weidleman said. This story was originally published by Mike Holden at Scripps News Cleveland .Moving To Costa Rica: A Guide For North American Retirees