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The volunteer group running hospice services in Sussex says it’s trying to build up its organization as it aims to build a physical hospice in the next five years. Representatives from Hospice of Sussex presented at town council last week on its plans to launch a new “social enterprise” in the form of a medical equipment rental service, called Mobility+. Board chair Gwen Pope told council this came as part of the group’s strategic planning as it seeks to expand services and move towards a physical hospice building within the next five years. “In the last few years, the look has changed,” Pope told Brunswick News Friday. “Excitement doesn’t begin to describe how the board is feeling.” The non-profit, volunteer-run group was founded in 2006 and provides non-medical end-of-life support to the Sussex area, stretching as far as Norton and Penobsquis, according to a fact sheet. That includes arranging drives to medical appointments, short-term relief for caregivers, family support, and grief support, the hospice says. Vice-chair Florence Buchanan said they had been “very busy over the years,” but things “tanked” during the pandemic and the group has been trying to get back on track. They began developing a three-year strategic plan with consultants with goals to expand the group’s services, she said, including expanding the service to include those who have “life-limiting” chronic conditions or dementia.. “We want to get involved sooner,” Buchanan said. “You can improve their quality of life sooner, before they get to the end stage, and you also have a chance to develop a relationship with the family, so that when they get to the end stage they’re comfortable with you.” The group also partnered with Stockton Health Group to provide more types of grief counselling, including for caregivers and families who have experienced recent loss, with all services free of charge, Pope said. The group’s expansion has meant more training, which means more fundraising, taking up more of the volunteer board’s time, Buchanan said. That’s where the idea of a “social enterprise” comes in, similar to Hospice Greater Saint John’s Hospice Shoppe, or a small business that can be used to help fund the group’s operations, Pope said. “We have discovered there is a sad need for medical equipment,” Pope said. “We decided that medical equipment filled a need within the community, but it’s also part of our wheelhouse.” She said that people in the community after surgery face big price tags to stock equipment for home care, with the price of a hospital bed around $4,000. So the non-profit turned to a social enterprise developer to build a business plan and is trying to soft-launch online in January, Pope said. The idea is that those with leftover equipment would donate it to Mobility+, which would sell the equipment at a reduced price and then give the donor a tax receipt. The service could also purchase new equipment and rent it out, she said. “The client has secured equipment within the town of Sussex at a reasonable price, and the hospice has generated some income,” Pope said. “Any money generated will go towards not only sustaining our support services, but purchasing new equipment as well.” She said that the group’s board has also voted to pursue a physical hospice that could also help house the Mobility+ service, Pope said. That’s something they’d hope to do in at least five years, she told council. “We have great hopes and dreams,” she said. Sussex Mayor Marc Thorne asked if they have someone helping with grants, and Pope said their project manager was on it, but the problem is “visibility.” She said they’re working on a website and will be launching social media at that time. Asked about volunteers, she said that their grief counsellors are accredited professionals, but those who do home visits are trained volunteers, and that they have a volunteer base of about 20 people. Pope told Brunswick News that the group is without an executive director, but has a “great working board” with 11 of 12 seats full that will help execute the plan to launch the social enterprise. She said that they’ve had “tremendous success” thanks to partnerships, and are currently in negotiations for a location that can help host Mobility+ and the future hospice building. Pope said finding funding for the building will take time, but the initiative is “much needed for the community,” she said. She said that getting awareness for the group’s services is also a need. “It comes back to the same old saying, until you need it you’re not aware it’s there,” she said. “People have a tendency to shy away from anything that has to do with dying and death. Sadly, it’s a part of life, and we’re all about quality end-of-life.” Thorne told Brunswick News that the hospice has the town’s “deep admiration” for the work it provides. “I can tell you from my own experience it’s life-changing,” he said. “The efforts that these volunteers provide, the comfort that they bring and the knowledge that they bring with them, long after you’ve lost your loved one, all of that remains.” He said he doesn’t think people “need to be convinced” of the group’s value, they just need to learn who they are and what they do. “I love their ambition, their vision, I think they will be successful, and I think they’ve got it just right,” he said. The group is currently running its Angels Remembered campaign until Dec. 21 at the Gateway Mall, and has a New Year’s eve gala planned at the Sussex Legion. More information can be found by emailing .Sam Darnold completed 33 of 43 passes for a career-best 377 yards to go with three touchdowns and one interception, and the Minnesota Vikings escaped with a 27-25 win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis. Justin Jefferson had eight catches for 92 yards for Minnesota (14-2), which won its ninth game in a row. Jalen Nailor, Jordan Addison and Cam Akers had one touchdown reception apiece for the Vikings. Jordan Love completed 19 of 30 passes for 185 yards and one touchdown for Green Bay (11-5). Josh Jacobs and Emanuel Wilson each rushed for a touchdown and Malik Heath had a touchdown catch for the Packers, who lost to the Vikings for the second time this season. Minnesota's nine-game winning streak matches its third longest in franchise history. The Vikings are enjoying their longest stretch of success since 1975, when they won 10 straight. Green Bay rallied with back-to-back touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull within two. Wilson scored on a 5-yard run to cut the Packers' deficit to 27-18 with 6:12 to go. Love brought Green Bay within 27-25 with 2:18 to play. He fired a 3-yard touchdown pass to Heath, who scored on a quick slant. The Vikings got the ball on the following kickoff and never gave it back to Green Bay. Darnold secured the win when he lobbed a pass to Akers for a first down to set up the victory formation. The Packers opened the scoring late in the first quarter with a 22-yard field goal by Brandon McManus. Minnesota responded to grab a 13-3 lead at the half. Darnold found Nailor for a 31-yard touchdown with 11:52 remaining in the first half. Nailor was wide open and made a basket catch near the back of the end zone. Reichard rounded out the first-half scoring with field goals from 25 yards and 50 yards. The Vikings increased their lead to 20-3 on the opening drive of the second half. Addison made a diving grab for an 18-yard touchdown. Green Bay pulled within 20-10 with 5:07 left in the third quarter. Jacobs scored on a 2-yard run. Darnold's third touchdown pass, this time to Akers, made it 27-10 in favor of the Vikings with 51 seconds remaining in the third quarter. --Field Level MediaRevolutionizing Cooling: India’s First Indigenous Liquid Immersion Solution

(CNN) — The Supreme Court agreed Friday to wade into a fight over Congress’ ability to delegate power to federal agencies — opening the next chapter in a decadeslong effort by conservatives and business interests to reduce the power of the federal government. The appeal, filed by the Biden administration, comes months after the high court handed down a blockbuster ruling limiting the power of federal agencies to interpret vague federal laws on workplace conditions, environmental protections and consumer safeguards. At issue in the latest case is the mechanism used to fund the multibillion-dollar Universal Service Fund, through which the Federal Communications Commission provides reduced-price phone and internet services for rural schools, low-income families and others. But the court’s decision, expected by June, could have a much wider impact, affecting delegations of power by Congress to other agencies. The Supreme Court granted two appeals Friday dealing with the same issue, one from the Biden administration and another from a coalition of schools and libraries that would be affected by the court’s decisions. The high court also added a question to the case, ordering the parties to discuss whether the case is moot because of how it was handled in the lower courts. In 1996, Congress created the fund and required telecommunication companies to contribute to it — a cost that is generally passed on to consumers. Critics say that arrangement acts like a tax and that the law violates the Constitution by “delegating” Congress’ taxing authority to the FCC. The appeal also raises questions about the constitutionality of the FCC’s decision to let a private entity manage the fund. The case is the latest in a series of efforts — most of which have been successful — to shift the balance of power between Congress and the presidency. The court is likely to decide the issue by June, months after President-elect Donald Trump begins his second term. A nonprofit “consumer awareness group” and others challenged the FCC’s funding arrangement in several federal courts, losing in the Cincinnati-based 6th Circuit and the Atlanta-based 11th Circuit but winning in the New Orleans-based 5th Circuit. The Supreme Court initially declined to decide the question, but the 5th Circuit ruling against the government prompted an appeal from the Biden administration. The Supreme Court last invoked the “nondelegation doctrine” in the 1930s but has since permitted Congress to delegate authority under certain conditions. Conservative groups in particular have argued the permissiveness has perverted separation-of-powers principles, allowing government agencies to take the lead on difficult choices that critics say should be left to elected lawmakers. The high court handed down several major cases earlier this year challenging the power of what critics call the “administrative state.” In one, the court overturned a precedent that required lower courts give deference to federal agencies when interpreting vague laws — an outcome that has already inspired a flood of challenges to other federal regulations. The-CNN-Wire TM & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.Bryce Thompson scored 17 points and achieved a milestone as Oklahoma State defeated Miami 80-74 on Friday afternoon in a Charleston Classic consolation game in Charleston, S.C. Thompson made 6-of-14 shots from the floor, surpassing 1,000 points for his career at Oklahoma State (4-1), which also got 15 points from Marchelus Avery. The Cowboys won in large part thanks to their impressive 3-point shooting (10-for-22, 45.5 percent). Oklahoma State backup guard Arturo Dean, a Miami native, posted eight points and one steal. He led the nation in steals last season while playing for Florida International. Miami (3-2) has lost two straight games in Charleston, failing to take a lead at any point. They will play on Sunday against either Nevada or VCU. The Hurricanes on Friday were led by Nijel Pack, who had a game-high 20 points. Brandon Johnson had a double-double for Miami with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Matthew Cleveland scored 11 points and Lynn Kidd and Paul Djobet added 10 points apiece for Miami. Miami, which fell behind 7-0 in Thursday's loss to Drake, got behind 9-0 on Friday as Abou Ousmane scored six of his eight points. Oklahoma State stretched its lead to 18 before settling for a 43-27 advantage at the break. Pack led all first-half scorers with 10 points, but Miami shot just 29.6 percent from the floor, including 3-of-13 on 3-pointers (23.1). Oklahoma State shot 48.4 percent, including 8-for-15 on 3-pointers (53.3 percent) before intermission. The Cowboys also had a 14-8 edge in paint points. In the second half, Miami closed its 20-point deficit to 55-42 with 12:12 left. Miami got a bit closer as two straight short jumpers by Kidd, trimming the deficit to 73-62 with 3:25 to play. The Hurricanes cut it to 77-70 on Pack's 3-pointer with 34 seconds remaining, but the Cowboys hit their free throws to close out the win. --Field Level Media

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s government early Wednesday lifted the martial law he imposed during a tense night of political drama in which troops surrounded parliament and lawmakers voted to reject military rule. Police and military personnel were seen leaving the grounds of parliament following the bipartisan vote, and the declaration was formally lifted around 4:30 a.m. during a Cabinet meeting. Yoon imposed martial law late Tuesday, vowing to eliminate “anti-state” forces as he struggles against an opposition that controls parliament and that he accuses of sympathizing with communist North Korea. Less than three hours later, parliament acted, with National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik declaring that the martial law was “invalid” and that lawmakers “will protect democracy with the people.” The president’s surprising move harkened back to an era of authoritarian leaders that the country has not seen since the 1980s, and it was immediately denounced by the opposition and the leader of Yoon’s own party. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the liberal Democratic Party, which holds the majority in the 300-seat parliament, said the party’s lawmakers would remain in the Assembly’s main hall until Yoon formally lifted his order. Woo applauded how troops quickly left the Assembly after the vote. “Even with our unfortunate memories of military coups, our citizens have surely observed the events of today and saw the maturity of our military,” Woo said. While announcing his plan to lift martial law, Yoon continued to criticize parliament’s attempts to impeach key government officials and senior prosecutors and lawmakers’ “unscrupulous acts of legislative and budgetary manipulation that are paralyzing the functions of the state.” Jo Seung-lae, a Democratic lawmaker, claimed that security camera footage following Yoon’s declaration showed that troops moved in a way that suggested they were trying to arrest Lee, Woo and even Han Dong-hoon, the leader of Yoon’s People Power Party. Officials from Yoon’s office and the Defense Ministry did not respond to requests for comment early Wednesday. Seemingly hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the Assembly, waving banners and calling for Yoon’s impeachment. Some protesters scuffled with troops ahead of the lawmakers’ vote, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or major property damage. At least one window was broken as troops attempted to enter the Assembly building. One woman tried unsuccessfully to pull a rifle away from one of the soldiers, while shouting “Aren’t you embarrassed?” Under South Korea’s constitution, the president can declare martial law during “wartime, war-like situations or other comparable national emergency states” that require the use of military force to maintain peace and order. It was questionable whether South Korea is currently in such a state. When martial law is declared, “special measures” can be employed to restrict the freedom of press, freedom of assembly and other rights, as well as the power of courts. The constitution also states that the president must oblige when the National Assembly demands the lifting of martial law with a majority vote. Following Yoon’s announcement, South Korea’s military proclaimed that parliament and other political gatherings that could cause “social confusion” would be suspended, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said. The military said anyone who violates the decree could be arrested without a warrant. In Washington, the White House said the U.S. was “seriously concerned” by the events in Seoul. A spokesperson for the National Security Council said President Joe Biden’s administration was not notified in advance of the martial law announcement and was in contact with the South Korean government. Speaking at an event with Japan’s ambassador to Washington, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, a longtime Asia diplomat, reiterated that the U.S.-South Korea alliance is “ironclad” and the U.S. would “stand by Korea in their time of uncertainty.” Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said there was no effect on the more than 27,000 U.S. service members based in South Korea. They are not confined to base or under any type of curfew, Ryder said. The South Korean military also said that the country’s striking doctors should return to work within 48 hours, Yonhap said. Thousands of doctors have been striking for months over government plans to expand the number of students at medical schools. Soon after the declaration, the parliament speaker called on his YouTube channel for all lawmakers to gather at the National Assembly. He urged military and law enforcement personnel to “remain calm and hold their positions. All 190 lawmakers who participated in the vote supported the lifting of martial law. Television footage showed soldiers who had been stationed at parliament leaving the site after the vote. Hours earlier, TV showed police officers blocking the entrance of the National Assembly and helmeted soldiers carrying rifles in front of the building. An Associated Press photographer saw at least three helicopters, likely from the military, that landed inside the Assembly grounds, while two or three helicopters circled above the site. The leader of Yoon’s conservative People Power Party called the decision to impose martial law “wrong” and vowed to “stop it with the people.” Lee, who narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election, said Yoon’s announcement was “illegal and unconstitutional.” Yoon said during a televised speech that martial law would help “rebuild and protect” the country from “falling into the depths of national ruin.” He said he would “eradicate pro-North Korean forces and protect the constitutional democratic order.” “I will eliminate anti-state forces as quickly as possible and normalize the country,” he said, while asking the people to believe in him and tolerate “some inconveniences.” Yoon — whose approval rating has dipped in recent months — has struggled to push his agenda against an opposition-controlled parliament since taking office in 2022. Yoon’s party has been locked in an impasse with the liberal opposition over next year’s budget bill. The opposition has also attempted to pass motions to impeach three top prosecutors, including the chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, in what the conservatives have called a vendetta against their criminal investigations of Lee, who has been seen as the favorite for the next presidential election in 2027 in opinion polls. During his televised announcement, Yoon also described the opposition as “shameless pro-North Korean anti-state forces who are plundering the freedom and happiness of our citizens,” but he did not elaborate. Yoon has taken a hard line on North Korea over its nuclear ambitions, departing from the policies of his liberal predecessor, Moon Jae-in, who pursued inter-Korean engagement. Yoon has also dismissed calls for independent investigations into scandals involving his wife and top officials, drawing quick, strong rebukes from his political rivals. Yoon’s move was the first declaration of martial law since the country’s democratization in 1987. The country’s last previous martial law was in October 1979, following the assassination of former military dictator Park Chung-hee. Sydney Seiler, Korean chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, argued that the move was symbolic for Yoon to express his frustration with the opposition-controlled parliament. “He has nothing to lose,” said Seiler, comparing Yoon’s move to the Hail Mary pass in American football, where he hoped for a slim chance of success. Now Yoon is likely to be impeached, a scenario that was also possible before he made the bold move, Seiler said. Natalia Slavney, research analyst at the Stimson Center’s 38 North website that focuses on Korean affairs, said Yoon’s imposition of martial law was “a serious backslide of democracy" that followed a “worrying trend of abuse” since he took office in 2022. South Korea “has a robust history of political pluralism and is no stranger to mass protests and swift impeachments,” Slavney said, citing the example of former President Park Geun-hye. Park, the country’s first female president, was ousted from office and imprisoned for bribery and other crimes in 2017 . Associated Press writers Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea, and Matt Lee, Didi Tang and Tara Copp in Washington contributed to this report.Chinese youth flock to civil service, but slow economy puts 'iron rice bowl' jobs at riskRomanian lawmakers narrowly approve new pro-European coalition during period of political turmoil

King and PM honour former US president Jimmy Carter after his death aged 100COLUMBIA, South Carolina (AP) — Victims' families and others affected by crimes that resulted in federal death row convictions shared a range of emotions on Monday, from relief to anger, after President Joe Biden commuted dozens of the sentences . Biden converted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The inmates include people who were convicted in the slayings of police, military officers and federal prisoners and guards. Others were involved in deadly robberies and drug deals. Three inmates will remain on federal death row: Dylann Roof , convicted of the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; the 2013 Boston Marathon Bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev ; and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of life Synagogue in 2018 , the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history. Opponents of the death penalty lauded Biden for a decision they'd long sought. Supporters of Donald Trump , a vocal advocate of expanding capital punishment, criticized the move as an assault to common decency just weeks before the president-elect takes office. Donnie Oliverio, a retired Ohio police officer whose partner was killed by one of the men whose death sentence was commuted, said the execution of “the person who killed my police partner and best friend would have brought me no peace.” “The president has done what is right here,” Oliverio said in a statement also issued by the White House, “and what is consistent with the faith he and I share.” Heather Turner, whose mother, Donna Major, was killed in a bank robbery in South Carolina in 2017, called Biden's commutation of the killer's sentence a “clear gross abuse of power” in a Facebook post, adding that the weeks she spent sitting in court with the hope of justice were now “just a waste of time.” “At no point did the president consider the victims,” Turner wrote. “He, and his supporters, have blood on their hands.” There has always been a broad range of opinions on what punishment Roof should face from the families of the nine people killed and the survivors of the massacre at the Mother Emanuel AME Church. Many forgave him, but they can’t forget and their forgiveness doesn’t mean they don’t want to see him put to death for what he did. Felicia Sanders survived the shooting shielding her granddaughter while watching Roof kill her son, Tywanza, and her aunt, Susie Jackson. Sanders brought her bullet-torn bloodstained Bible to his sentencing and said then she can’t even close her eyes to pray because Roof started firing during the closing prayer of Bible study that night. In a text message to her lawyer, Andy Savage, Sanders called Biden’s decision to not spare Roof’s life a wonderful Christmas gift. Michael Graham, whose sister, Cynthia Hurd, was killed, told The Associated Press that Roof’s lack of remorse and simmering white nationalism in the country means he is the kind of dangerous and evil person the death penalty is intended for. “This was a crime against a race of people," Graham said. “It didn’t matter who was there, only that they were Black.” But the Rev. Sharon Richer, who was Tywanza Sanders’ cousin and whose mother, Ethel Lance, was killed, criticized Biden for not sparing Roof and clearing out all of death row. She said every time Roof’s case comes up through numerous appeals it is like reliving the massacre all over again. “I need the President to understand that when you put a killer on death row, you also put their victims' families in limbo with the false promise that we must wait until there is an execution before we can begin to heal,” Richer said in a statement. Richer, a board member of Death Penalty Action, which seeks to abolish capital punishment, was driven to tears by conflicting emotions during a Zoom news conference Monday. “The families are left to be hostages for the years and years of appeals that are to come,” Richer said. “I’ve got to stay away from the news today. I’ve got to turn the TV off — because whose face am I going to see?” Biden is giving more attention to the three inmates he chose not to spare, something they all wanted as a part of what drove them to kill, said Abraham Bonowitz, Death Penalty Action’s executive director. “These three racists and terrorists who have been left on death row came to their crimes from political motivations. When Donald Trump gets to execute them what will really be happening is they will be given a global platform for their agenda of hatred,” Bonowitz said. Two of the men whose sentences were commuted were Norris Holder and Billie Jerome Allen, on death row for opening fire with assault rifles during a 1997 bank robbery in St. Louis, killing a guard, 46-year-old Richard Heflin. Holder’s attorney, Madeline Cohen, said in an email that Holder was sentenced to death by an all-white jury. She said his case “reflects many of the system’s flaws,” and thanked Biden for commuting his sentence. “Norris’ case exemplifies the racial bias and arbitrariness that led the President to commute federal death sentences,” Cohen said. “Norris has always been deeply remorseful for the pain his actions caused, and we hope this decision brings some measure of closure to Richard Heflin’s family.” Swenson reported from Seattle. Associated Press writer Jim Salter in O'Fallon, Missouri, contributed to this report.