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d2d roulette No. 25 UConn working on climbing back up poll, faces No. 15 BaylorOceanScore reviews the first year of EU ETS: what have we learned and what lies ahead?

Making a $1B investment in the US? Trump pledges expedited permits — but there are hurdlesRaiders confirm QB Gardner Minshew out for season, look to Aidan O'Connell

UConn head coach Dan Hurley insists he's not overvaluing Wednesday night's game between his 25th-ranked Huskies and No. 15 Baylor in Storrs, Conn. Sure, it comes on the heels of the two-time reigning national champion Huskies (5-3) responding to losing all three games during the Maui Invitational with a blowout victory over Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday.

Italy will not send troops to Ukraine: Foreign ministerBy KEVIN FREKING WASHINGTON (AP) — National defense would see a 1% increase in spending this fiscal year under a Pentagon policy bill that also gives a double-digit pay raise to about half of the enlisted service members in the military. Related Articles National News | 'Technical issue' causes massive outage to Facebook, Instagram, other Meta apps National News | FBI Director Wray says he intends to resign at end of Biden’s term in January National News | Anthony Weiner, ex-congressman jailed in sexting scandal, files to run for NYC City Council seat National News | Ex-prosecutor charged with meddling in Ahmaud Arbery case appears in court ahead of trial National News | Gun found on suspect in killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO matches shell casings at scene, police say The measure is traditionally strongly bipartisan, but not this year as some Democratic lawmakers protest the inclusion of a ban on transgender medical treatments for children of military members if such treatment could result in sterilization. The bill is expected to pass the House Wednesday and then move to the Senate, where lawmakers had sought a bigger boost in defense spending than the $895.2 billion authorized in the compromise measure before them. Lawmakers are touting the bill’s 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted service members and a 4.5% increase for others as key to improving the quality of life for those serving in the U.S. military. Those serving as junior enlisted personnel are in pay grades that generally track with their first enlistment term. Lawmakers said their pay has failed to remain competitive with the private sector, forcing many military families to rely on food banks and government assistance programs to put food on the table. The bill also provides significant new resources for child care and housing. “No service member should have to live in squalid conditions and no military family should have to rely on food stamps to feed their children, but that’s exactly what many of our service members are experiencing, especially the junior enlisted,” said Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. “This bill goes a long way to fixing that.” The bill sets key Pentagon policy that lawmakers will attempt to fund through a follow-up appropriations bill. The overall spending tracks the numbers established in a 2023 agreement that then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached with President Joe Biden to increase the nation’s borrowing authority and avoid a federal default in exchange for spending restraints. Many senators had wanted to increase defense spending some $25 billion above what was called for in that agreement, but those efforts failed. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who is expected to serve as the next chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the overall spending level was a “tremendous loss for our national defense,” though he agreed with many provisions within the bill. “We need to make a generational investment to deter the Axis of Aggressors. I will not cease work with my congressional colleagues, the Trump administration, and others until we achieve it,” Wicker said. House Republicans don’t want to go above the McCarthy-Biden agreement for defense spending and are looking to go way below it for many non-defense programs. They are also focused on cultural issues. The bill prohibits funding for teaching critical race theory in the military and prohibits TRICARE health plans from covering gender dysphoria treatment for children under 18 that could result in sterilization. Rep. Adam Smith of Washington state, the ranking Democratic member of the House Armed Services Committee, said minors dealing with gender dysphoria is a “very real problem.” He said the treatments available, including puberty blockers and hormone therapy, have proven effective at helping young people dealing with suicidal thoughts, anxiety and depression. “These treatments changed their lives and in many cases saved their lives,” Smith said. “And in this bill, we decided we’re going to bar servicemembers’ children from having access to that.” Smith said the number of minors in service member families receiving transgender medical care is in the thousands. He said he could have supported a study asking medical experts to determine whether such treatments are too often used, but a ban on health insurance coverage went too far. He said Speaker Mike Johnson’s office insisted upon the ban. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, called the ban a step in the right direction, saying “I think these questions need to be pulled out of the debate of defense, so we can get back to the business of defending the United States of America without having to deal with social engineering debates.” Smith said he agrees with Roy that lawmakers should be focused on the military and not on cultural conflicts, “and yet, here it is in this bill.” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic leader, said his team was not telling Democrat how to vote on the bill. He said he was still evaluating the legislation as of Wednesday morning. “There’s a lot of positive things in the National Defense Authorization Act that were negotiated in a bipartisan way, and there are some troubling provisions in a few areas as well,” Jeffries said. The defense policy bill also looks to strengthen deterrence against China. It calls for investing $15.6 billion to build military capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region. The Biden administration had requested about $10 billion. On Israel, the bill, among other things, includes an expansion of U.S. joint military exercises with Israel and a prohibition on the Pentagon citing casualty data from Hamas. The defense policy bill is one of the final measures that lawmakers view as a must-pass before making way for a new Congress in January. The Senate is expected to take up the legislation next week. It then would move to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law.

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Even before special counsel Jack Smith formally asked that his criminal cases against Donald Trump be dismissed, it was already guaranteed the president-elect would never see a jury. Smith on Monday dropped both the 2020 election subversion prosecution against Trump and the charges accusing Trump of mishandling classified documents. The special counsel stressed his decision was not about the strength of his case against Trump, but his reasoning hung on the Justice Department’s long-held belief that the Constitution prohibits prosecutions against sitting presidents. Even if prosecutors had believed that they could have kept the cases on life support into the second Trump presidency, the president-elect had already indicated that he planned to fire Smith and his team, a vow that breached the usual norms surrounding a special counsel investigation. Trump’s reelection this month was the straw that broke the back of a camel that had been buckling under slow-walking courts and novel legal arguments. Smith’s filings suggested he could bring the charges again, though Trump may seek to foreclose that possibility by pardoning himself – an unprecedented move. Also looming over Trump’s second term is the Republican’s promises to go after those who prosecuted him, a vow echoed by his pick for attorney general. Here are takeaways from Smith’s move to seek the cases’ dismissal and how his prosecutions got to this point: Trump’s election and retribution promises made this day inevitable Trump’s reelection earlier this month ensured that his federal criminal cases would face an early end. The former president vowed during his campaign to fire Smith if voters sent him back to the White House – a move at odds with how other presidents have handled special counsels. “Oh, it’s so easy. It’s so easy,” Trump said in October when asked by conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt whether he would “pardon yourself” or “fire Jack Smith” if reelected. “I would fire him within two seconds.” In the end, though, Trump didn’t need to sack the special counsel to kill the two cases. He was already benefiting from a legal strategy of delay that made sure no trials got underway before Election Day – which ultimately forced Smith’s hand. A few days after Trump’s reelection, the special counsel asked the judge overseeing the DC case to pause deadlines in that matter so his team could assess how to move forward with the unprecedented prosecution. Nearly three weeks after Election Day, he submitted his filings to the courts in DC and Florida. The president-elect, meanwhile, has repeatedly promised to seek political retribution against Smith and others whom he believes have unfairly pursued him during his four years out of office. His pick for attorney general, Pam Bondi , appears ready to be a loyal foot soldier in those efforts. “The Department of Justice, the prosecutors will be prosecuted — the bad ones,” Bondi, who served for a time as Florida’s attorney general, said in a TV appearance in August 2023. “The investigators will be investigated. Because the deep state, last term for President Trump, they were hiding in the shadows. But now they have a spotlight on them, and they can all be investigated,” she added. What will we learn next? Before Trump takes his oath of office next year, Smith plans to release a final report as required by law on his investigations into Trump, a source familiar with the matter tells CNN. Attorney General Merrick Garland is expected to publicly release it, as he has with past special counsel reports. But it’s unclear how much new information would be included, especially in the election subversion case, where Smith recently filed hundreds of pages of legal arguments and evidence gathered for that prosecution. The Supreme Court played a major role If part of what happened was that Smith simply ran out of time to pursue the case against Trump, then the six-justice conservative majority on the Supreme Court had a key role to play in slowing things down. The high court granted Trump sweeping immunity from criminal prosecution for official actions in a highly anticipated 6-3 decision that was handed down in July, limiting the special counsel’s ability to move forward. Some of Trump’s critics slammed the decision itself , but others faulted the court for the time it took to deliver it. It was clear that several conservative justices saw the ruling not as a gift to Trump but as a way to head off spiraling and potentially politically motivated prosecutions. While the court’s decision may ultimately meet that goal, the ruling is also widely viewed as removing a check on presidents. Chief Justice John Roberts, a conservative, wrote that Congress couldn’t criminalize a president’s conduct when he is “carrying out the responsibilities of the executive branch.” Justice Sonia Sotomayor, a liberal, warned in dissent that the decision would set up future presidents to be “a king above the law.” The Supreme Court initially denied Smith’s effort to resolve the immunity questions in December – allowing the normal process to play out with a federal appeals court wading in first. Two months later, in mid-February, after the appeals court ruled in Smith’s favor, it was Trump who asked the justices to review the question of presidential immunity. The court granted the case in February but did not hear arguments until the end of April. It handed down its decision on the final day of its term, on July 1. And the case was finally returned to the trial-level court in DC in August. Judge Cannon killed the Mar-a-Lago case The election subversion case was always expected to face years of litigation over the questions it raised about criminalizing acts taken by a sitting president. But the case in which Trump was accused of mishandling national defense information – was viewed as a much more straightforward prosecution, for how it focused on Trump’s post-presidency conduct and dealt with a well-established area of law. Trump, however, hit the jackpot with the assignment of that case to Judge Aileen Cannon, an appointee of his with little trial experience who had already treated the investigation with remarkable hostility when she oversaw pre-indictment lawsuit Trump brought challenging the FBI’s search of his Florida Mar-a-Lago resort. Cannon threw a number of wrenches into the prosecutors’ case before dismissing it entirely this summer on the grounds that Smith was unlawfully appointed. Her handling of the charges was widely panned by legal experts, and her dismissal ruling as set for review by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals until those deadlines were postponed with Trump’s win. Notably, Smith is not ending the Justice Department’s pursuit of the two Trump employees, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, who were charged with allegedly assisting their boss in efforts to hinder the federal probe. What to do next in the case will be a question for the incoming Trump Justice Department. While Trump might want to have the charges against his allies dropped, the DOJ will have to balance that against an institutional desire to wipe off the books a dismissal ruling that could undermine special counsel investigations in the future. Smith keeps door open for charges to be brought again In both of his cases against Trump, Smith said he was dropping the charges against the president-elect “without prejudice,” which in theory would keep open the door for charges to be brought again in the future. While pointing to the immunity Trump was about to receive by reentering the White House, Smith repeatedly said characterized that immunity as “temporary.” Smith’s filing in the election subversion case in Washington, D.C., included a longer discussion of how he had come to the decision to drop that case, where he had to weigh the longstanding DOJ position barring prosecutions of sitting president against the principle that no man is “above the law.” Smith said he consulted with DOJ lawyers on the question, and they also weighed the possibility of pausing the case until Trump no longer had the immunity of the presidency protecting him. Ultimately, however, the Department’s Office of Legal Counsel concluded that the prohibitions on prosecuting sitting presidents is “categorial,” including for indictments handed up before a defendant enters office, Smith said. Monday’s move by Smith will likely bring attention – and perhaps criticism – to the Justice Department’s views, which have not yet been tested directly by courts. Trump lawyers get top jobs in his DOJ as a thank you Smith’s dismissal filings bring to a close a chapter for the criminal attorneys who were mostly successful in staving off the criminal prosecutions against Trump. But a new chapter has already opened for several members of the Trump legal team who have already been rewarded with plum positions in his incoming administration. Todd Blanche, who played a central role in the DC prosecution and in other Trump cases, has been tapped by Trump for the DOJ’s No. 2 role, deputy attorney general. John Sauer, who argued the immunity dispute on Trump’s behalf before the Supreme Court, has been selected by Trump to be U.S. solicitor general, the federal government’s top lawyer before the high court. Both positions are subject to Senate confirmation. Additionally, Trump announced that another member of his personal legal team, Emile Bove would serve as acting deputy attorney general while Blanche was waiting for confirmation and then move to principal associate deputy attorney general, a position that does not go before the Senate.

ATLANTA — On Jan. 18 and 19 the AT&T Playoff Playlist Live! will be held at State Farm Arena in advance of the College Football Playoff national championship on Jan. 20. The star-studded lineup was announced Thursday at a news conference at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Performances will include Lil Wayne and GloRilla on Saturday; and Camila Cabello, Myles Smith and Knox on Sunday. On game day, the Allstate Championship Tailgate, taking place just outside Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the Home Depot Backyard, will feature country acts on the Capital One Music Stage, including global superstar Kane Brown and iHeartCountry “On The Verge” artist Ashley Cooke. The concerts are just two of the festivities visiting fans can enjoy in the days leading up to the big game. The fan experience for both ticket holders and the general public has been a focus for event planners. All weekend long, an estimated 100,000 people from across the country are expected to attend fan events preceding kickoff. People are also reading... Sooners legend Tiare Jennings 'a game changer' as OU softball graduate assistant Berry Tramel: Kevin Wilson makes a decision for TU's future that might not be his QB commit Jett Niu's dreams led him to OSU, but he had one question for Mike Gundy State Department of Education bought 532 Trump Bibles, purchase order shows Will Brent Venables make a solid offensive coordinator hire? Joe C believes so — and here's why Bill Haisten: ‘Why would you even say that?’ OSU fund-raising was damaged by Gundy comments Roster cuts are coming to Oklahoma State and Mike Gundy is dreading it POLL CLOSED: Vote for the Bill Knight Automotive high school football player of the week for Week 11 Police, sheriff talk about what Trump's mass deportation plan could mean for Tulsa What's Brent Venables telling recruits now? Has no-visit policy for OU commits changed? A new name coming for one of Tulsa's tallest buildings Ryan Walters can't force schools to show his prayer video for Trump, AG's Office says James Franco visits Outsiders House Museum Mike Gundy preparing to send Ollie Gordon, Nick Martin, Collin Oliver to NFL Draft OU coach Brent Venables reveals wife Julie's cancer returned earlier this year “It will be an opportunity for fans of all ages to come together to sample what college football is all about, and you don’t have to have a ticket to the game to be a part of it,” said Bill Hancock, executive director of the CFP in a press release. “We’ve worked closely with the Atlanta Football Host Committee to develop fan-friendly events that thousands will enjoy come January.” On Saturday, Jan. 18, Playoff Fan Central will open at the Georgia World Congress Center in downtown Atlanta. The free, family-friendly experience will include games, clinics, pep rallies, special guest appearances, autograph signings and exhibits celebrating college football and its history. That day, fans can also attend Media Day, presented by Great Clips, which will feature one-hour sessions with student-athletes and coaches from each of the College Football Playoff national championship participating teams. ESPN and social media giants X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok will be taping live broadcasts from the event. On Sunday, Jan. 19, the Trophy Trot, both a 5K and 10K race, will wind its way through the streets of downtown Atlanta. Each Trophy Trot participant will receive a T-shirt and finisher’s medal. Participants can register at atlantatrackclub.org . On Sunday evening, the Georgia Aquarium will host the Taste of the Championship dining event, which offers attendees the opportunity to indulge in food and drink prepared by local Atlanta chefs. This premium experience serves as an elevated exploration of local cuisine on the eve of the national championship. Tickets to the Taste of the Championship event are available on etix.com . Atlanta is the first city ever to repeat as host for the CFP national championship. The playoff was previously held in Atlanta in 2018. “We are honored to be the first city to repeat as host for the CFP national championship and look forward to welcoming college football fans from around the country in January,” said Dan Corso, president of the Atlanta Sports Council and Atlanta Football Host Committee. “This event gives us another opportunity to showcase our incredible city.” The College Football Playoff is the event that crowns the national champion in college football. The quarterfinals and semifinals rotate annually among six bowl games — the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential and the Allstate Sugar Bowl. This year’s quarterfinals will take place on Dec. 31, 2024 and Jan. 1, 2025, while the semifinals will be Jan. 9-10, 2025. The CFP national championship will be Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. For additional information on the College Football Playoff, visit CollegeFootballPlayoff.com .

Recently, the Commission on Audit (COA) En Banc affirmed that there was nothing irregular in Development Bank of the Philippines’ (DBP) sale of Philex Mining Corp (PMC) shares in 2009. Recall that the DBP Audit Team filed a notice of charge which alleged that DBP incurred a “loss of opportunity trading gain” of P412.50 million when it sold the PMC shares to DVRI in November 2009, given that 27 days later the PMC shares rose from its selling price of P12.75 per share to P21 per share. Before proceeding, this writer discloses that he was once a DBP Executive Vice President who joined DBP way after the questioned transaction. In my former position, however, I learned about the many careers that were derailed by the charge and the negative morale effect of the very public case on the people inside the bank. It is also a fact that a junior officer tragically passed away, allegedly due to depression from “show cause” letters regarding said incident. Without commenting on the case merits, it is established that the COA has decided that the difference in sale price is because of the volatility and speculative nature of stock market trading. The COA noted that despite the variance between the sale price in November 2009 and December 2009, DBP did not suffer an actual loss. Similarly, in 2014, the Sandiganbayan already threw out a related criminal case for alleged behest loans in connection with the sale of PMC shares. It took 15 years to finally put to rest any question of irregularity. While the COA's decision provides some resolution, the case has already caused significant damage to affected individuals. Another example is the accounting firm Arthur Andersen (AA) that was dissolved in 2002 following allegations related to the Enron scandal. In 2005, the US Supreme Court overturned AA’s conviction on the grounds of flawed jury instructions, suggesting that the legal process was not entirely fair. Although AA's role in the Enron scandal is undeniable, some argue that the consequences were overly severe and had broader negative impacts. The action of a few penalized thousands of innocent officers and employees—a question of proportionality. Some would argue that the Enron case was complex, and Anderson was scapegoated for broader systemic issues. The issue of regulators and auditors imposing unfounded penalties is a significant concern, particularly when such actions irreversibly damage careers, reputations, and businesses. Accountability is a fundamental principle of justice, and the question of whether regulators and auditors should be held accountable for errors or overreach is both ethical and practical. Regulators and auditors play a crucial role in ensuring compliance, integrity, and public trust across industries. They act as watchdogs to detect fraud, prevent malpractice, and protect stakeholders. Their authority allows them to investigate, impose penalties, and sometimes even revoke licenses or certifications. However, this power must be exercised judiciously and transparently because of its far-reaching consequences. When regulators or auditors make errors, the consequences for the subjects can be severe. Consider the following consequences: First, reputational damage. A publicized penalty or adverse finding can irreparably harm an individual’s or organization’s reputation, even if later reversed. Second, financial losses can be substantial. Fines, legal fees, and lost business opportunities can have long-term financial implications. Third, the emotional and career impacts can be devastating. Professionals may lose their careers, livelihoods, and professional standing due to accusations later proven unfounded. There is a compelling argument for holding regulators accountable when their actions are found to be erroneous or excessive. Individuals and organizations harmed by wrongful penalties should have avenues for compensation, akin to suing for damages in cases of negligence or malpractice. Regulators should be required to demonstrate due process, ensuring their findings are well-supported and fair before imposing penalties. Independent oversight bodies could review regulatory decisions to minimize errors and ensure fairness. Regulators should publicly acknowledge their errors, much like subjects are publicly penalized for wrongdoing. The critical issue is how to balance authority and accountability. Regulators need sufficient authority to act decisively, especially in urgent situations. Excessive fear of being held accountable could result in regulatory paralysis, where they avoid taking necessary actions. Many regulatory issues involve complex and evolving facts, which can lead to genuine error. Determining whether an error was due to negligence or unavoidable circumstances is often difficult. A fair and transparent process is essential to assess the circumstances of each case. Likewise, if regulators are overly penalized for their efforts, it may open the door for frivolous or retaliatory lawsuits, undermining their effectiveness. Regulators and auditors must be held to high standards of accountability, just as the subjects they oversee are. While they are essential for maintaining order and trust, their authority must be exercised with care and responsibility. Implementing mechanisms for oversight, redress, and transparency can help achieve a balance. The aim is to ensure justice for all parties concerned. (Benel Dela Paz Lagua was previously EVP and Chief Development Officer at the Development Bank of the Philippines. He is an active FINEX member and an advocate of risk-based lending for SMEs. Today, he 1 is an independent director in progressive banks and in some NGOs. The views expressed herein are his own and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of his office as well as FINEX.)

ST. LOUIS — Sam Fox, who rose from humble beginnings in rural Missouri to found a billion-dollar investment firm, bankroll Republican political campaigns and serve as U.S. ambassador to Belgium, died Monday. He was 95. He was born in 1929 in Desloge, about an hour south of St. Louis, as the youngest of five children of immigrants from Belgium and Ukraine. The house had no indoor bathrooms until he was 8. But he would later look back fondly on his Lead Belt hometown as idyllic, close-knit and tolerant. He spent his high school summers in Illinois in pea- and corn-canning factories, earning money he would later use to make his way to St. Louis and Washington University, a place he said opened his eyes to the world "as if someone had pulled back a curtain." He graduated with a business degree in 1951 and got a job with a chemical company shortly after. In 1953, he married Marilyn Widman, a fellow Washington U. student and his wife for the next 70 years. In the 1970s, he went into business for himself, founding Harbour Group, which grew into a holding company of diverse manufacturing businesses, with billions of dollars in annual revenue. As his business took off, Fox took an active role in numerous civic institutions, such as the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and the St. Louis Art Museum. He also served as a trustee at his alma mater and joined Civic Progress, the group of local corporate chiefs that once wielded significant political power. Fox was modest about his success, though. "We like to think that we're smart enough to have made that happen,” Fox told the Post-Dispatch in 2003. “But the fact of the matter is that being in the right place at the right time and being lucky has a heck of a lot to do with it.” He and his wife also gave generously to numerous causes and established a family foundation to help people with the basic needs of food and shelter. Fox credited his parents with teaching him the importance of giving back, recalling the traditional Jewish tzedakah box they had in their home. Whenever Fox got a few nickels and dimes, he dropped them in the box. "We never had much money, but there was always something for people in need," Fox said. "That's just the way it was." In 2005, Washington U. named the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts in his honor. He also chaired the university's capital fundraising campaign for six years. "Sam was one of WashU's most loyal alumni," Chancellor Andrew Martin said in a statement Wednesday. "We benefited greatly from his savvy leadership and decades of transformational support." Over the years, Fox became a prolific donor to Republicans locally and on the national stage. He gave generously to Missouri Republican figures, from Gov. Mike Parson to former Gov. and Sen. John Ashcroft, as well as President George W. Bush, who made Fox his ambassador to Belgium from 2007-2009. During Bush's tenure, Fox was known in the White House as "Foxy," a nickname the president himself would often use. Fox also was an occasional hunting partner of then-Vice President Dick Cheney. In 2006, Fox and his wife hosted First Lady Laura Bush at their Clayton home for a Republican fundraising event. “Sam was a massive and generous figure for every Republican candidate in this state for many decades,” said John Hancock, a former state Republican Party chairman. “He was kind, insightful, highly regarded and respected by all.” He also had some friends on the other side of the aisle, at least locally. Former St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, who enjoyed Fox's support in at least one of his City Hall campaigns, called Fox “a phenomenal St. Louisan.” “He's going to be greatly missed,” Slay said. The Jewish Federation of St. Louis said in a statement that Fox's dedication to philanthropy and his impact on local organizations "have left an indelible mark on our Jewish community and beyond." The federation said Fox and his wife, who died last February, were committed to the principle of tikkun olam, or repairing the world. The federation also cited the Fox Family Foundation, which the couple established in 1986. Among Fox's survivors are three children and 15 grandchildren. Funeral services are scheduled for 1:15 p.m. Sunday at Congregation Temple Israel in Creve Coeur.

‘The Guy Has Real Charisma’: Ex-CNN Analyst Speculates About Whether Donald Trump Jr. Will Run For White House In 2028Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Since their public break up in May, Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes seem to have moved on smoothly. Ruth, 64, has had a glam makeover, while Eamonn has introduced his new girlfriend Katie Alexander . However, rumours surfaced that the GB News presenter was irked when Ruth jetted off to Australia to film I'm A Celebrity Unpacked. It was suggested that his annoyance stemmed from his past struggles to travel with the Loose Women star due to her fear of flying. But insiders close to Eamonn have dismissed these reports as "nonsense", insisting there are "no hard feelings." Speaking to MailOnline, a source said: "It's all nonsense. He's living his life and there are no hard feelings. He's never flown into a rage and it's just laughable that he would." On the show, Ruth looked stunning, wearing her hair up with the front section framing her face, reports the Mirror . Meanwhile, Eamonn and his partner Katie were seen at the TRIC Christmas Lunch at the Londoner Hotel earlier this week. Back in 2019, Eamonn joked that Ruth would soothe her pre-flight nerves with alcohol. This revelation was made during their time presenting This Morning . At the time, Eamonn said: "Ruthie does not like aeroplanes, that is not an easy task." Ruth opened up about her travel nerves , saying: "I'm not completely phobic, but a lot of people will be like that where they feel uncomfortable. For others it really does stand in their way of travelling." Eamonn cheekily revealed Ruth's coping mechanism: "Ruth has the perfect solution. She drinks to forget. She drinks before the flight, she drinks during the flight and she drinks after the flight. It helps her forget." To which Ruth laughingly retorted: "It's a little dutch courage. You're not doing my PR any good this morning, are you?" Earlier in the week, Ruth had expressed concerns over her appearance on the spin-off show, sharing images of the torrential rain with her social media followers. Over the weekend, she posted a video praising her glam squad as "miracle workers" for getting her camera-ready in just ten minutes amidst the jungle downpour. A source close to Ruth commented on her jungle worries, particularly about her hair, hinting at a potential new hairstyle due to the relentless rain wreaking havoc. Meanwhile, the I'm A Celebrity camp has been battling unprecedented weather conditions , with Ant McPartlin stating: "The rain has been really bad, it's probably the worst rain we've ever had doing this show. It was touch and go, we nearly didn't make it into the camp." Declan Donnelly shared a video of the heavy rain making it difficult for their vehicle to cross the bridge into the campsite.

After-hours movers: Zscaler, Honeywell, Microchip Technology and moreNoneArticle content Beloved Edmonton theatre artist Julien Arnold died on stage Sunday night at Citadel Theatre, sending reverberations throughout the local theatre community and beyond. The prolific actor and founding member of Free Will Players was playing generous and loving Fezziwig — a character with qualities Arnold shared — in the long-ago Christmas Eve party scene witnessed by Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Past. Old Scrooge’s words about his kindly old master Fizziwig seem appropriate here of the local actor, instructor and mentor: “Say that his power lies in words and looks; in things so slight and insignificant that it is impossible to add and count ’em up: what then? The happiness he gives is quite as great as if it cost a fortune.” A statement from Punctuate Theatre, where Arnold’s wife Sheiny Satanove serves as managing direction, said he left us “as he lived—immersed in his passion for theatre.” “Julien was a cherished member of the Edmonton theatre community whose warmth, talent, and generosity touched so many lives,” the statement said. The theatre has set up a fundraiser to support his wife, and details about a memorial service will be announced soon, the statement said. “Julien’s presence will forever be missed, but his legacy will live on in the hearts of all who had the privilege of knowing him,” it concluded. Besides playing Bob Cratchit then Scrooge in previous Citadel Christmas Carols, Arnold was also Marley in the new, Lianna Makuch-directed production, running until Dec. 24. Among his many talents, he also sang and played the banjo and mandolin — which he played with his partner Sheiny Satanove during the pandemic. Arnold lived in Tanzania with his extended family until he was five in 1969, later getting a BFA in 1989 and an MFA in directing, both from the University of Alberta. Other Citadel productions Arnold was in over his three-decade career include The Importance of Being Earnest, Clue, The Garneau Block, Ring of Fire, Once, Spamalot, Beauty and the Beast, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Wizard of Oz, Travels with My Aunt, The Royal Hunt of the Sun and Richard III. With Free Will, he regularly appeared in summer productions of Shakespeare standards including, lately, The Merchant of Venice and The Merry Wives of Windsor. Arnold was an integral player in many of Stewart Lemoine’s comedies, lending his effervescent talent to Cocktails at Pam’s, The Glittering Heart, Shockers Delight!, Happy Toes, The Ambassador’s Wives, The Scent of Compulsion and The Finest of Strangers. Other notable roles include The Little Mermaid, The Finest of Strangers, Million Dollar Quartet, The Suburban Motel, A Skull in Connemara, The Wrong People Have Money, King Lear, The Taming of the Shrew, As You Like It, Two and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Fringe goers also saw him shine in A Picasso, which earned him a Sterling Award for Outstanding Fringe Performance by an Actor, and he took on the director role in his own The Atlas Theatre Collective for The Lonesome West at Roxy Theatre, Going to St. Ives at Varscona and Sirens at the 2018 Fringe. He most recently played multiple roles in Theatro Live!’s horror The Woman in Black. Edmonton’s theatre community took to social media to mourn the actor. Christy Greenwood, owner of costume store the Theatre Garage, said on Facebook she met Arnold at the Citadel 20 years ago. “He was an actor, I was a dresser on A Christmas Carol,” she said. “He was warm, welcoming and hilarious, even if he drove us crazy with his dirty sock drawers and empty cans of beans in his dressing room lol. As a 20-something-old-kid and certainly green, Julien was always cheerful and kind. I loved working with him.” Others remembered him for his great sense of humour. As one example of the actor’s humour, whenever anything would go slightly wrong in a tech rehearsal, or if there was a small audience at a performance, Arnold would say, “Cancel show! Wobbly pops!” Arnold was deeply loved by audiences and his fellow artists alike, and will be sorely missed. Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don’t miss the news you need to know — add EdmontonJournal.com and EdmontonSun.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here. You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun.

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